398 MR. A. H. G. DORAN ON THE MORPHOLOGY 



PI. LIX. fig. 12) all these features in the malleus and incus are very feebly marked : the 

 neck of the malleus is rather short ; the processus muscularis is a mere tubercle ; the ma- 

 nubrium is very slender, and the lamina wide but not wider than in a typical Civet's 

 ossicula. The processus brevis of the incus is more developed than in the Raccoon. The 

 stapes is of stouter make than in Proeyon, or in any Felis or Viverra ; and its thick base 

 is very convex. In the Kinkajou ( Cercoleptes caudivolvulus, PL LIX. fig. 14) the malleus 

 is much more distinct in type : the head is more developed upwards than in the other Pro- 

 cyonidse, and resembles that in many bears and weasels ; the articular surface is deeply cut 

 and very narrow ; the neck is long, the manubrium is rather short, broad at the base, and 

 well recurved at the tips, as in the Mustelidse ; but it does not form nearly so wide an angle 

 with the neck, and the lamina has the characters of the Raccoon's. The incus (PI. LVIII. 

 fig. 53) has a very small sharp-pointed processus brevis, and a stout processus longus, as in 

 Proeyon. It may be here noticed that, while the tendency to great shortness of the former 

 process exists in the Mustelidse, Procyonidse, iEluridse, arid UrsidaB alike, in the first two 

 families the processus longus is stout and short; in JElurus and the Bears it stretches out 

 far, as in Man. The base of the stapes in Cercoleptes (PI. LVIII. fig. 63) is almost flat. 



In the Cacomixl (Bassaris astuta) the malleus (PI. LIX. fig. 15) more resembles that of 

 Viverra and Proeyon ; but its head projects more than in either of those animals, and 

 the processus gracilis is extremely divergent, so that the procyonine type of a wide 

 lamina is best marked in Bassaris. This rare animal has a peculiarity already described 

 and better marked in Meles. The neck of the malleus forms a sharp conical projection 

 just above the manubrium (PI. LIX. fig. 15, a, n), which being readily mistaken for the 

 angular upper extremity of the base of the latter, representing the processus brevis, 

 makes the whole manubrium look unusually long. In reality the handle is as short as 

 in Cercoleptes, and nearly as broad at the base ; the extremity is distinctly recurved and 

 only slightly spatulate. The incus (PI. LVIII. fig. 52) has a very small processus 

 brevis ; the stapedial cms is stout, and rather longer than in Proeyon ; it supports, as in 

 the rest of the family, a sessile elliptical Sylvian apophysis. 



In the Panda {Ml%rus fulgens) the malleus (PI. LIX. fig. 16), as a whole, somewhat re- 

 sembles that of Proeyon. The head forms a narrow projecting knob above its articular 

 surface, which is broader than in the last family. The neck is rather short, and almost as 

 sharply curved as in Viverra. The lamina has the same depth as in the Procyonidse, 

 owing to the divergence of the processus gracilis. The manubrium is rather short, not 

 very broad at the base, and but little recurved at the tip ; it does not form a very broad 

 angle with the neck : thus it is intermediate in characters between those of the Weasels 

 and the typical Procyonidse, and resembles its representatives in most Bears. The 

 processus brevis of the incus (PI. LVIII. fig. 51) is very short and sharp-pointed ; the 

 processus longus is rather thin, and stretches forwards considerably, as in the Ursidse ; 

 it bears at its extremity a distinctly pedunculated and discoidal Sylvian apophysis. 



The Ursidse are the only terrestrial Carnivora where a large malleus is to be seen with 

 an obsolete processus muscularis (PL LVIII. fig. 36). The head of that ossicle is well 

 developed, often projecting considerably upwards ; the articular surface is rather wide, 

 as in the Mustelidse ; but the groove between the facets is generally faintly marked. 



