1882.] PROF. ST.-GEORGE MIVART ON THE ZLUROIDEA, 135 
1. On the Classification and Distribution of the luroidea. 
By Szr.-Grorce Mrvart. 
{Received January 13, 1882.] 
The Proceedings of this Society contain three papers, of pro- 
gressively increasing importance, on the classification of the order 
Carnivora. The first of these is a paper by Mr. Waterhouse’, 
wherein he proposes to divide the order into six coordinate families, 
named by him Canidae, Viverride, Felide, Mustelide, Urside, and 
Phocide. These divisions are based on cranial and dental cha- 
racters. He associates Arctictis with Procyon, Nasua, Cercoleptes, 
Ailurus, and the Bears in his Urside; and adds in a note, ‘ from 
an examination of the external characters of Bassaris astuta it ap- 
pears to me that it belongs to this group.’ As to the true Bears, 
he remarks that they differ from the other terrestrial Carnivora “ in 
having a projecting process on the underside of the ramus, and situ- 
ated a little in advance of the angle of the jaw. The same character 
is also found in many Seals (Phocide), which, in several other respects, 
appear to approach the Bears.” 
He expresses the opinion that ‘‘the Cats appear to bear the same 
relation to the Mustelide as the Dogs to the Viverride.’’ As to 
the last-named family, he tells us ‘the Viverride have the same 
general form of skull as the Canidae, but differ in having the poste- 
rior portion more produced ; the bony palate is carried further back ; 
and the small back molar observable in the lower jaw of the Dogs is 
here wanting.” The Hyena he is “inclined to regard as an aber- 
rant form of the Viverride ;” adding, “in the general characters of 
the cranium, and especially in the curved form of the lower jaw, it 
differs considerably from the Cats, and approaches the Viverras. 
If, however, it be placed with the Viverride, it will form an excep- 
tion as regards its dentition, having only one true molar on either 
side of the upper jaw. The ‘carnassiére’ has a large inner lobe, 
and in this respect also resembles the Viverras, and not the Cats.” 
The second paper I have referred to is that by the late Mr. H. 
N. Turner’, wherein he refers to, and much further elaborates the 
views propounded in, Mr. Waterhouse’s paper, but objects to a 
division of the order into six groups of similar rank. He divides 
the terrestrial Carnivora into three primary groups, to each of which 
he gives the rank of a family, namely (1) Urside, (2) Felide, and 
(3) Canide. The first family he divides into the three subfamilies 
Ailurina, Procyonina, and Mustelina, classing Bassaris in the second 
of these, and saying *, “from the characters presented by the cra- 
nium, I do net feel the slightest hesitation in referring this animal 
1 P. Z. 8. 1839, p. 135. 
* “ Observations relating to some of the Foramina at the base of the Skull 
in Mammalia, and on the Classification of the Order Carnivora,” P. Z, 8. 1848, 
p. 63. 
8 Loc, cit. p. 81. 
