1864.] DR. J. E. GRAY ON THE VIVERRID. 507 
selves by lying on their back and using both the hind and front feet 
to claw with ; they walk softly, and jump on their prey. 
The animals with exserted claws generally scratch the ground into 
holes, and defend themselves with their front feet ; and some, as the 
Suricate and the Bears, sit on their haunches ; and the Bear, the 
Coatimondi, the Raccoon, &c. use their fore feet as hands to take 
their food, as well as in defence. 
Synopsis of the Genera. 
I. The Cat-footed (luropoda). The toes curved, arched, hairy, 
webbed ; claws sharp, retractile. 
A. Typical. Digitigrade. The underside of the feet hairy, except 
the pads, metatarsus, and sometimes a small part of the tarsus. 
Upper flesh-tooth elongate; upper tubercular grinder small, 
transverse. Nose short ; underside flat, with acentral groove. 
Viverracea, 
1. Body robust ; tubercular grinders 2/1, 2/1; back of tarsus hairy. 
Viverrina. 
Protetes. Legs elongate ; front longest. Head short, broad ; ears 
long. Tail short, bushy. An anomalous genus allied to Hyena. 
Viverra. Legs moderate, equal. Head elongate. ‘Tail conical, 
ringed. Back crested. Orbit of skull incomplete. 
Bassaris. Tail cylindrical, ringed. Legs equal, moderate. Back 
not crested. Orbit of skull incomplete. 
Viverricuta. Legs moderate, equal. Tail conical, ringed. Back 
not crested ; heel with a small bald spot. Orbit of skull com- 
plete. 
2. Body robust ; tubercular grinders 2/1, 2/1; underside of the 
tarsus with a narrow naked streak. Genettina. 
Genettra. Back with a black suberectile streak. 
Fossa. Back without any central streak. 
3. Body slender, elongate ; tubercular grinders 1/1. Prionodontina. 
Porana. Back of tarsus with a narrow naked streak. 
Prionopon. Back of tarsus hairy. 
B. Aberrant. Subplantigrade. The underside of the toes and 
more or less of the back of the tarsus naked, callous. Flesh- 
tooth strong, upper tubercular grinders large, broad. 
1. Nose produced ; underside convez, hairy, without any central 
longitudinal groove ; hinder part of the tarsus bald, callous. 
Face produced. Cynogalina. 
CynoGaLe. Tail short, cylindrical. 
