1869.] CLASSIFICATION OF THE CARNIVORA. 31 
and established its true position among the Viverride, the same 
method of observation has resulted in affording a full compensation 
to the former group by assigning to it the interesting little American 
Carnivore the Bassaris, frequently placed among the Viverride. 
When this animal was first subjected to scientific examination, the 
distinctions between the different families of the Carnivora were less 
understood than at present ; and Lichtenstein, who named it*, and 
Wagler, who gave a description of its external characters +, were con- 
tent with pointing out that it showed resemblances on the one hand 
to the Raccoons and Coatis, and on the other hand to the Genettes. 
The first and hitherto only published details of its anatomy were 
given by M. Paul Gervais, in his description of the mammals collected 
by MM. Eydoux and Souleyet in the voyage of the ‘‘ Bonite”’ (1841). 
He gives a figure of the skeleton, and a brief description of the prin- 
cipal viscera, including the important statement, apparently since 
overlooked, of the absence of a caecum to the intestine. He also 
describes the very large os penis, from which and certain other minor 
characters he concludes that Bassaris is allied to the Mustelide, 
although, on the whole, belonging to the Viverride, and most nearly 
approaching the ‘‘ Mangoustes,”’ more especially the genera Galictes 
and Galidia. 
In his more recent ‘ Histoire naturelle des Mammiféres’ (1855), 
Prof. Gervais places Bassaris in the Tribe of ‘‘ Viverrines,’’ between 
which and the ‘‘ Mangustins”’ it is said to establish a transition. 
De Blainville, giving a figure of the same skeleton, places it among 
the Mustelide, it being evidently, he says, a “‘ Mustela viverrin, dont 
en effet le systéme dentaire est Viverrin et le reste Mustela” 
Mr. Waterhouse, as early as 1839, indicated its true position in a 
note to his paper ‘On the skulls and the dentition of the Car- 
nivora’’§, saying, “‘ From an examination of the external characters 
of Bassaris astuta, it appears to me that it belongs to this group,” 
z. e. that division of the Urside which includes Procyon, Nasua, &c. 
Mr. Blyth in his translation of Cuvier’s ‘Animal Kingdom’ 
(1840), introduces it provisionally after Cercoleptes, saying, in a note, 
‘Strong presumptive evidence that the Basset (Bassaris astuta) 
does not appertain to the Viverrine group, is afforded by the restric- 
tion of the geographical range of the latter to the Eastern Hemi- 
sphere in every other instance. The presence or absence of a cecum 
would decide the question.” 
Mr. Turner'||, after quoting Mr. Blyth’s observation, says, “ I am 
not aware whether this last-mentioned point has ever been ascertained ; 
but, from the characters presented by the cranium, I do not feel the 
slightest hesitation in referring this animal to the Subursine group.” 
He, however, gives no description of these characters; and his de- 
* “Erlauterungen der Nachrichten des Fran. Hernandez von den vierfiissigen 
Thieren Neuspaniens,” Abh. Berlin Akad. 1827, p. 89. The animal was mentioned 
by Hernandez under the name of Tepe-Maxtlaton or Cacamitztli, meaning, ac- 
cording to Lichtenstein, the ‘“‘ Rush-Cat.” 
+ Isis, 1831, p. 512. t Ostéographie, tom. ii. p. 65. 
§ P. Z. S. 1829, p. 137. || Loc. cit. p. 81. 
