208 MR- w. A. FORBES ON THE [Feb. 7, 



It is interesting to note that the genera of ViverridcB with nu- 

 merous anal glands and a large circumanal pouch are A.frican, and 

 especially South- African, like Hycena brunnea. 



The extreme geographical limits of the Fiverrida seem to be 

 France, Spain, Shanghai, Formosa, the Philippines, Celebes, Lom- 

 bock, Madagascar, the Cape, and the north-western part of Africa — 



Cape Verd. 



The most northern range in the continent of Asia appears to be 

 that of Hyana striata in Asia Minor^ 



No species of the ViverridcB is so widely diffused as is Viverricula. 



Geograpically, then, as well as in some respects structurally, the 

 Viverridce (apart from the Madagascar forms; seem to divide them- 

 selves into two great sections — one Asiatic and Viverrine, the other 

 African and Herpestine. 



ThciEluroidea being considered as one whole, and Dr. Gray's twelve 

 species o^ Paradox urus and my enumeration of Cats being pro- 

 visionally accepted, we have a total of 5 species of ^Eluroids in Europe, 

 7 species in Madagascar, 1 1 species in America (all Cats), 46 species 

 in Africa, and 68 in Asia, 7 of these being common to both 

 Africa and Asia. 



Before long I hope to lay before the Society my notes on some 

 parts of the anatomy, and especially on the osteology of the iElu- 

 roidea. 



2. On some Points in the Anatomy of the Indian Darter 



{Plotus melanog aster), and on the Mechanism of the 



Neck in the Darters [Plotus], in connexion with their 



Habits. By W. A. Forbes, B.A., Prosector to the 



Society. 



[Eeceived January 9, 1882.] 



It is to the late Prof. Garrod that we are indebted for our know- 

 ledge of the great differences in the anatomy of the digestive organs 

 of the American ^ (P^^MS anhinga), and African^ (P. levaillanti) 

 Darters. The existence of such differences in birds apparently so 

 nearly allied made it very desirable to obtain a knowledge of these 

 parts in the other species of the genus Plotus. 



On April 8th last, the Society obtained, by exchange from the 

 Zoological Gardens of Calcutta, the first specimen of the Indian 

 Darter (Plotus melanogaster) that it has acquired. The specimen, a 



' P. de Tchihatcheff in his 'Asie Mineure' (185(5), 2" partie, p.'602, reports good 

 evidence of its existence in Asia Minor. He says : — " Je ne I'ai jamais observ^e a 

 r^tat virant, mais dans plusieurs localites de la Phrygie, de la Mysie et du Pont, 

 les habitants m'en ont positivement constate I'existeuce : d'ailleurs a Selevk6 

 (littoral de la Cilicie petr6e) ; une depouille de la Hymna striata me fut montr^e 

 par un chasseur Arm6nien qui m'assura d' avoir tu6 I'animal dans les montagnes 

 voisines." 



2 P.Z.S. 1876, pp. 335-345 ; Scient. Papers, pp. 334-346, pis. xviii.-xx. 



3 L. c. 1878, pp. 679-681 ; t. c. pp. 346-349. 



