1882.] PROF. ST.-GEORGE MIVART ON THE ^LUROIDEA. 159 



marked by a groove along the miildle of the nasals, as in Fossa. 

 The cerebellar chamber of the cranium is very large, larger relatively 

 than in Viverra or Civetta. The cranial ridges are slight, the 

 temporal ridges not uniting to form a sagittal ridge. The ascending 

 ramus of the mandible has a narrower and more vertically prolonged 

 coronoid process than in Genetta, while the angle extends less 

 backwardly. The teeth' are formed like those of the Genets, save 

 that there is no -^— and that — has rather a larger talon relatively, 

 while its inner cusp is situated a little more towards the anterior 

 end of the tooth, j^^ has also a smaller talon than has the corre- 

 sponding tooth oi Genetta; and |^-r, is much more minute than is the 

 JP2 of the Genets, and more laterally compressed, with two (or 

 three) cusps placed one in front of the other. The deciduous teeth 

 are like those of the Genets, save that -^ seems to have its talon 

 hardly smaller than in the adult, and has no extra cusp on the ridge 

 joining the inner and anterior cusps, g-g is unlike that of Genetta 

 and is quite like jj— ^, except that the postero-external cusp is rather 



larger compared with the anterior one, and that the talon is a trifle 

 smaller relatively. 



Prionodon has all the characters enumerated as those of Viverra, 

 except Nos, 1. 2, 12, 18, 42, 45, and 46. 



The genus Poiana was founded by Dr. Gray on the Genetta 

 poensis described by Mr. Waterhouse ^. 



Its coloration is very like that of Prionodon ; but the spots are 

 smaller and show no tendency to run into transverse bands or stripes, 

 except on the middle of the back of the head, and except a broad 

 mark on each side descending from the back of the head to above 

 the shoulder. The tail is ringed with dark rings, alternately broad 

 and narrow. The muzzle is very pointed. The length of the head 

 and body is about 38 inches, that of the tail 40'5 inches. 



The animal comes from Sierra Leone and Fernando Po, and 

 differs from Prionodon not only remarkably as to geographical 

 distribution, but also in that it has a narrow bald line running up 

 towards the tarsus, as in Genetta. I have been able to find no 

 cranial distinctions between Poiana and Prionodon, save that in the 

 latter the cerebellar chamber of the cranium is smaller, and that 

 the coronoid process of the mandible is intermediate in form between 

 that of Genetta and that of Poiana. 



The teeth are also quite like those of Prionodon, except that 

 jjj-2 's rather less laterally compressed, its three cusps being not 

 placed so nearly in an antero-posterior line. 



Thus this animal might be considered an African Prionodon 

 which had acquired a Genet-hke tarsus ; and this determination 



^ The dentition (copied from Horsfield's plate) is given by De Blainville, 

 Osteographie, Viverras, pi. 12. 



■' P. Z. S. 1838, p. 59. See also P. Z. S. 1864, p. 520, and .Brit. Mus. Cat. 

 p. 54, fig. 8 (skull). 



