1882.] PROF. ST. -GEORGE MIVART ON THE ^LUROIDEA. ISf 



senegalensis, and have been described and figured by him in the 

 Ann. des. Sc. Naturelles, 5'' ser. vol. xix. (1874) pi. iii. fig. 14. 

 These glands were described and figured by Daubenton in BuiFon's 

 Hist. Nat. vol. ix. p. 343, pis. 36-40. Therein the Genet dissected 

 (a female) is described as having a distinct orifice at the bottom of 

 each lateral depression, leading thence into the interior of the gland ; 

 but such is certainly not the case in my G. tigrina, any more than 

 in (Miatin's G. senegalensis, in both of which the secretion had 

 only a multitude of minute pores through which to exude. 



The genus Genetta agrees with Viverra in all the characters of 

 the latter before enumerated, except Nos. 24, 38, and 42 ; and there 

 are, besides, the differences in size and markings and in the more 

 inflated condition of the anterior part of the bulla. 



The beautiful Viverrine animals known as the Linsangs differ 

 from the foregoing forms sufficiently to warrant their separation as 

 members of the genus Prionodon, which may be said to have been first 

 instituted by Horsfield, since in his 'Zoological Researches' (1824) he 

 proposed for it the term Prioiiodontidce to denote a subdivision of the 

 genus Felis. He there describes it under the name of Felis gracilis^, 

 and gives a representation of its external form, and also separate 

 figures of its head, dentition, and paw. Hodgson, in the 2nd part 

 of the 2nd volume (1842) of the 'Calcutta Journal of Natural 

 History,' p. 57, plate 1, describes a so-called second species of the 

 genus Prionodon {P. pardicolor) ; and a third species, P. maculosus, 

 has been described by Mr. Blanford in the 2nd part of the 

 47th vol. of the Journal of the xlsiatic Society of Bengal (1878), 

 p. 1.52, pi. 6 (external form) and pi. 7 (skull), the skin and skull 

 of which are deposited in the British Museum, and some points in 

 the anatomy of which I have examined. 



In Prionodon the ground-colour of the coat is white or whitish 

 grey, ^with brown or black markings. The markings may form 

 four broad continuous patches running transversely across the 

 hinder part of the body ; or spots may replace each continuous 

 patch. The tail is ringed ; and there are dark streaks on the neck 

 and shoulders. P. gracilis is from Borneo, Java, and Singapore ; 

 P. pardicolor from Nepal ; and P. maculosus from Darjeeling, 

 Moulmain, and South Tenasserim. As to size, the length of the 

 head and body seems to average about 46", and that of the tail 

 40"'5. The fur is soft, close, and erect. The limbs are rather 

 short. The pollex and hallux are both well developed. The claws 

 are almost, if not quite, as completely retractile as in the Cats. 

 The tarsus and metatarsus are entirely hairy. Thus in this respect, 

 as also in the character of the claws and the absence of — ^, Prio- 

 nodon approaches Felis most closely, as Horsfield was careful to 

 point out. The palmar and plantar pads have a greater tendency 

 to break up into separate naked spaces than in Genetta ; but, as 

 in that genus, a hairy portion intervenes between the proximal and 

 distal parts of the palmar pad. The pupil is circular. 



' Prionodon gracilis, Gray, P. Z. S. 1864, p. 519. 



