OF THE MAMMALIAN OSSICULA AUDITUS. 397 



gent manubrium. The incus has a very short processus brevis, but a long, far-stretching 

 processus longus ; the whole bone is very like a Bear's. The stapes has thick crura ; and 

 the base is absolutely concave in the horizontal direction. 



In the Badger (Meles taxus) (PL LVIII. fig. 40) the malleus is remarkable. The 

 head is as long as in Gulo ; the articular surface is even wider ; and the facets are almost 

 flat, whilst in the above-described genera of weasels they are both quite convex *. The 

 most distinctive feature is a conical projection, formed by the neck making a sharp 

 angular bend, instead of a curve, close above the manubrium. It appears at first sight 

 to be the processus brevis, and thus makes the handle look longer than it really is. But 

 on close examination, the true representative of the processus brevis may be seen, pro- 

 jecting outwards, a perceptible distance below the conical projection. The incus resem- 

 bles that of Gulo. A very slight representative of the above-described projection exists 

 on the neck of the malleus of the American Badger (Taxidea americana). As regards M. 

 taxus, this process (PL LVIII. fig. 40) is equally prominent and well developed in five pairs 

 of mallei from skulls in the College collection. Its evident relation to the orbicular promi- 

 nence on the malleus of the Shrew (Sorex) and other mammals will be discussed later on. 

 The malleus oiJEelictis nipalensis resembles that of Meles in general aspect ; but there 

 is no projection from the neck; the muscular process is not as long as in Mustela. 



In the Otter (Lutra) (PL LIX. fig. 9) the malleus resembles the Weasel's ; the neck 

 is much constricted close to the manubrium. The incus has an extremely small pro- 

 cessus brevis ; the processus longus is stout and divergent. This character is better seen 

 in the Sea-Otter (Enhydra), where that crus supports a large flask-shaped Sylvian 

 apophysis. Aonyx (PL LIX. fig. 13) closely resembles Lutra in its ossicles. 



In the Procyonid.e the malleus is devoid of good distinctive features, and is of 

 slender make, with a broad lamina, as in the Civets. The head is not much developed ; 

 the articular surface is always narrow, and shaped very much like the same in the 

 Viverridse ; the manubrium is generally long and slender, but the outer aspect, though 

 narrow, is broader than in that family. The muscular process is always present and 

 always short. The processus gracilis leaves the neck at a very wide angle, so that the 

 lamina suddenly becomes broad to an extent seldom imitated in the Civets. In a well- 

 preserved malleus of a member of this family this feature is very prominent ; but the 

 lamina is often mutilated. 



The incus has generally an ill-developed processus brevis, never so small as in 

 Mustela ; the crura of the stapes are straight, and, together with the base, are thicker 

 than in Cats, Dogs, and Civets. 



In the Raccoon (Frocyon lotor, PL LIX. fig. 11) these characters are well marked : the 

 processus muscularis of the malleus is as large as in Viverra ; the end of the manubrium is 

 distinctly spatulate ; and the whole process is long and slender. The lamina, too, widens 

 suddenly from the great divergence of the processus gracilis. The processus brevis of the 

 incus is very much more slender than the stapedial crus, which is very broad, and turns 

 up sharply at the tip. The base of the stapes is very convex. In the Coati (Nasua nasica> 



* In this and many other Mustelidae the lamina is sometimes perforated, probahly from atrophy or ill develop- 

 ment. Owen describes such a condition in Gulo and Lutra (Anatomy of Vertebrates, vol. iii.). 



SECOND SEMES. — ZOOLOGY, VOL. I. 3 H 



