120 



additional facts contributed in consequence to the science which 

 it is our object to advance. 



" It is not in my province to enter upon an external description 

 of the Kinkajou, nor is such an account now required, since it has 

 already been given, with more or less of detail, by the best syste- 

 matic zoologists of the last half century. Its interest, as an 

 osculant form, may be gathered by a simple reference to the modes 

 in which it has been considered and classified by different authors, 

 and to the synonyms indicative of the different degrees of import- 

 ance attributed by them to its outward peculiarities. Classed 

 among the Viverridce by Shaw, under the name of the prehensile 

 Weasel, and raised to the Quadrumana by Pennant, as the yelloxu 

 Macauco, it holds a somewhat intermediate station in the system of 

 Cuvier, who places it in the Plantigrade family of Carnivora, under 

 the generic name Cercoleptes, applied to it by llliger. 



" In the following description of the anatomy of the Cercoleptes, 

 I shall therefore consider it with reference more especially to the 

 Lemures and the Plantigrade Carnivora. 



" The specimen measured in length, from the end of the nose to 

 the root of the tail, 1 foot 4 inches ; and the length of the tail was 

 1 foot 5 inches. 



" There were no clavicles, not even in a rudimentary state. The 

 clavicular portion of the sterno-mastoideus arose from the cartilage 

 of the first rib, and the corresponding portion of \he deltoid itom the 

 transverse processes of the lower cervical vertebra. 



" The abdominal viscera were protected by a large omentum 

 streaked with fat. The cesophagus was continued about an inch 

 into the abdomen, and entered the stomach about an inch from the 

 left extremity. The pyloric extremity of the stomach was bent up- 

 wards abruptly, and suddenly became narrow. 



" The duodenum made a large semicircular sweep downwards, 

 backwards, and to the left, being loosely connected by a wide du- 

 ^Mcatare o^peritoneu7n for the greater part of its course; it was also 

 connected with the colon by a fold of peritoneum continued from it. 

 The remainder of the intestinal canal was disposed in rather large 

 folds, connected to a mesentery about 2 inches broad, in which the 

 mesenteric vessels formed only a single series of arches. The dia- 

 meter of the small intestine was about half an inch, becoming 

 somewhat less towards the colon. There was a slight constriction 

 indicating exteriorly the commencement of the large intestine, and 

 better marked within by a sudden thickening of the muscular coat, 

 and the commencement of a few narrow longitudinal folds of the mu- 

 cous membrane, but there was no cacum. 



" The whole length of the intestinal canal was 6 feet 6 inches ; 

 the length of the large intestine was only 5 inches. At its termi- 

 nation it became very muscular, and the lining membrane was 

 thrown into irregularl}'^ transverse ruga;. In the rest of the intes- 

 tinal canal, with the exception of the longitudinal folds above men- 

 tioned, the mucous membrane was smooth and uniform. 



