144 PROF. ST.-GEORGE MIVART ON THE ^LUUOIDEA. [Pcb. 7 , 



The distinctive characters of the FelidcE are : — 



(1) There is a short pollex with a claw not, or hardly, reaching to 



distal end of metacarpal of index. 



(2) The hallux is only represented by a rudimentary metatarsa 

 bone. 



(3) The ungual phalanges are greatly arched, with a wide lamina 

 to shelter the base of the claw. 



(4) The claws are greatly arched, sharply pointed, and, except in 



Gyncelurus, completely retractile. 



(5) The auditory bulla is much inflated, smooth, and rounded, 

 but hardly shows any external sign of division into two 

 chambers. 



(6) The bulla is more prominent towards its inner than towards 



its hinder border. 



(7) There is an almost complete bony septum between the two 

 chambers of the bulla, which are one behind the other. 



(8) The bony meatus auditorius is short and neither produced 



anteriorly nor inferiorly ; neither is it imperfectly ossified 

 below. 



(9) There is no carotid foramen anywhere visible on the surface 

 of the basis crauii. 



(10) There is no alisphenoid canal. 



(11) The palatine foramina are situated in the hinder half of the 

 palate. 



(12) -— and p-., are not developed '. 



(13) There is no lower tubercular molar, no jj-^, and no — ^. 



(14) — ^ is always very small and transversely extended. 



(15) The antero-exterual cusp of — is fairly developed, but is 



much smaller than the two others. 



(16) jj^ has hardly any talon. 



(17) The outer incisors but little exceed the middle ones in size. 



(18) Humerus with a supvacondyloid foramen. 



(19) Bone of penis small. 



(20) The ears not very long, erect and pointed. 



(21) Tarsus and metatarsus hair}'. 



(22) One small plantar pad, and one beneath each digit. 



(23) The anus docs not open into a saccular depression. 



(24) Two anal glands only. 



(25) No prescrotal glands. 



(26) Always a more or less small caecum. 



(27) Many very hard, horny, sharp-pointed, conical papillae on 

 the dorsum of the tongue. 



(28) Hippocampal gyrus not- completely separated from the antero- 



1 The mandible of a Tiger \Tith p-r,, killed in British Bunuah, is described 



and figured by B. A. Lvdekker in the Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng. vol.slvii. (1878), 

 p. 2, plate ii. 

 ^ So far as I have had an oppurtiinilv of examinuig. 



