196 PROF. ST.-GEORGE MIVART ON THE iELUROIDEA. [Feb. 7, 



The stomach' is much bent on itself, but has a considerable 

 cardiac pouch. The small intestines are 4 feet 3 inches long ; the 

 large intestine is 5^ inches, and the caecum 1^ inch. The latter 

 narrows gradually to its extremity. 



There is a very large supracondyloid foramen, and a very large bone 

 to the penis. 



The characters of the subfamily CryptoproctincB will then be as 

 follows : — 



(1) Claws very curved, sharp, and semiretractile. 



(2) Postorbital processes long, but not enclosing orbits. 



(3) Hinder chamber of bulla not distinctly everted. 



(4) Hinder margin of auditory opening rather the more projecting. 



(5) Floor of anterior part of bulla not fissured or pitted. 



(6) Angle of mandible not everted. 



(7) Mastoid rather prominent. 



(8) Paroccipital processes not depending. 



(9) Aperture of auditory meatus rounded, of moderate size. 



(10) An alisphenoid canal. 



(11) Carotid artery not perforating the basis cranii conspicuously. 



(12) No prescrotal glands? 



(13) Anus opening into a sac. 



(14) One pair of anal glands 1 



(15) A very large supracondyloid foramen to humerus. 



(16) Pollex and hallux both present. 



(17) Caecum moderate. 



(18) Tarsus and metatarsus bald. 



(19) Nose and upper lip medianly grooved. 



(20) Dentition very feline, save that there is a double-rooted y— . 



(21) Tail long. 



(22) Os penis very large. 



With Cryptoprocta ends the list of genera which I am disposed to 

 class in the family Viverridce, following, as I do, Mr. Turner and 

 Professor Flower in ranking the Hyaenas as a group of proximately 

 coordinate value with the Feline and Viverrine families. 



Nevertheless I believe that the HycenidcB are closely allied to the 

 HerpestiMB — so much so that, had the Madagascar Viverrines no 

 existence, I should feel a certain temptation to exclude the Ichneu- 

 mons and their allies from the Viverridce, and make of them a family 

 HerpestidcB, under which the Hyaenas could then be grouped. As 

 it is, however, the plan I have adopted seems to me to be perhaps 

 best calculated to express the affinities of the existing ^luroidea. 



The characters of the entire family Viverridce, thus understood, 

 may be expressed as follows : — 



(1) There may or may not be a pollex ; but in the large majority of 



species there is one. 



(2) There may or may not be a hallux ; but in the large majority of 



species there is one. 



(3) The ungual phalanges may or may not be strongly arched ; but 



' Beunett, I. c. p. 139. 



