462 "^PROF. ST.-GEORGE MIVART ON THE .ELUKOIDEA. [Juiie 6, 



vanishing at the 5th. Metapophyses are also developed beneath the 

 pr8ez3'gapophyses of the 3rd, 4th and 5th vertebrae, and may be traced 

 in some of the larger Cats on the hinder part of the neural arch of 

 the last four cervical vertebree. The transverse processes form large 

 osseous plates m Proteles, much as in Viverra ; nevertheless in 

 Hyana they are relatively very small, smaller and less plate-like than 

 even in the Cats. 



The Dorsal Vertebree. 



The greatest length of the dorsal region which I have met with is 

 39"-4 (Crocuta) and 38"-0 (Felis tigris). 



Its greatest relative lengths (the spine, from the preaxial margin of 

 the atlas to the postaxial margin of the sacrum, being taken as 100) 

 are 45-6 {Hycena) and 45*4 (Suricafa); the smallest are 34-4 {Ge- 

 netta) and 34-8 (Cynictis). The Felidce I find to vary from Sfi'l 

 to 39-2, the Viverridce from 34*4 to 45-4, and the Hywnidce 

 from 40-4 {Proteles) to 45-6, as above given. 



Compared with the cervical region, its greatest lengths are in Arc- 

 tictis and in Suricata, viz. as 238" 2 and 231-6 to 100 respectively. 

 It is often nearly twice as long as the cervical region. It exceeds 

 the cervical region least in Proteles, where it is but 1227 to 100. 



The greatest number of dorsal vertebrae is found in all Hycenidce, 

 viz. 15. 1 have found 14 in Paradoxurus, Arctictis, Cynogale, some 

 Herpestes, Bdeogale, Crossarchus, and Galidictis, 13 in the other 

 genera. 



The dorsal spinous processes are generally more relatively ex- 

 tended antero-posteriorly — more plate-like — in the Viverridce than in 

 the FelidcB, especially in at least some Herpestes and in Eupleres and 

 Suricata. In Arctictis these spines are exceptionally low and 

 inclined postaxiad ; that of the first dorsal nearly equals in length 

 that of the seventh cervical. On the other hand, in Hycena the 

 difference in length between these two spinous processes is at its 

 maximum. 



Generally, as in the Cat, the 11th dorsal vertebra is the first the 

 spinous process of which begins to incline preaxiad. 



In Galidictis the spine of the 12th dorsal is vertical, while those 

 of the 11th and 13th inchne towards it. 



In Hemigalea the spine of the 11th dorsal inclines forwards, 

 meeting that of the 10th, 



In Cynictis it is the 13th vertebra which first inclines preaxiad. 



In Eupleres and Suricata it is the 12th which so inclines, and 

 this is the first to have the anapophyses and metapophyses distinctly 

 differentiated. 



In Felis caius these latter processes are quite distinct on the 1 1th 

 dorsal vertebra. 



In Hycena the change which takes place in the direction of the 

 dorsal spinous processes is a gradual one between the 12th and 14th 

 vertebrae, the 1 3th being nearly upright. 



Proteles exhibits a very exceptional character : the spinous pro- 



