1882.] prof. st. -george mivart on the ieluroidea. 469 



The Appendicular Skeleton. 

 The Pectoral Limb. 



The proportion borne by the entire pectoral limb (humerus, 

 radius, and maims) to the spine — the length from the front of the 

 atlas to the hinder end of the sacrum beinii taken as 100 — is never 

 more than //-g (as sometimes in Felis), or less than 42-3 {Vi- 

 verricula). 



The greatest proportion amongst the Viverridct is 6G*4 (Suricafa) ; 

 the shortest found by me in the Felidce was 52-9 (F. eyra). 



The Scapula. 



The extreme length of the scapula compared with of the spine 

 (estimated as before) is as 21 to 100, as sometimes in Felis. In 

 that genus I have found 18- 6 to be the minimum proportion. la 

 the ViverricliB \t varies from 11*9 (Nandinia) to 18'9 (^Cynictis). 

 In Proteles it is 19' 7, and in Grocuta 206. 



The Civets have the scapula much more in the shape of a paral- 

 lelogram than have the Cats, the preaxial border not being so 

 convex. The metacromion is not so much developed ; and the pro- 

 portion borne by the infraspinatus fossa to the supraspinatus fossa 

 is greater, as also in the Genets, in which the scapula is otherwise 

 more feline. Fossa and Puradoxurus are intermediate between 

 Genetta and Viverra in the form of the scapula ; but the convexity 

 of the preaxial border is generally situate nearer to the glenoid 

 surface than it is in the Genet. 



In Gynogale the scapula is much like that of the Civet, but the 

 prominence of its preaxial margin is more rectangular in outUue and 

 less rounded. 



Arctictis resembles Paradoxurus ; but its infraspinatus fossa ia 

 still larger relatively ; the spine is but little prominent, and the 

 metacromion quite rudimentary. In Herpestes the metacromion is 

 well developed. There is sometimes a prominence for the teres 

 major; and the proportional size of the infraspinatus fossa may not 

 be greater than in the Cat. In Crossarchus there is sometimes so 

 sharp a prominence from the glenoid end of the convexity of the 

 preaxial border as to form a deep suprascapular notch. The meta- 

 cromion is well developed, as also in Suricata{vi\iQre its apex is sharply 

 bent backwards) ; the outer surface of the scapula is in this genus 

 singularly concave. In Galidia, the convexity of part of the pre- 

 axial margin may be very great ; but here, as seems to be generally 

 the case, there is much individual variation in the form of the 

 scapula. In Eupleres the metacromion is well developed, but the 

 acromion may be very short. In Cryptoprocta the scapula is very 

 like that of some Cats ; the infraspinatus fossa is not so large rela- 

 tively as in Genetta ; the metacromion is well developed. In Uyoena 

 the preaxial margin is rounded ; the metacromion is very minute 

 and placed quite at the end of the spine ; the supraspinatus fossa is 

 smaller relatively than in the Cats, or than in the Viverridm gene- 

 rally ; both it and the infraspinatus fossa are very concave. In 



