182 PROF. ST.-GEORGE MIVART ON THE ZLUROIDEA. [ Feb. 7, 
If perfect, it is very short. The opening of the external auditory 
meatus is small and triangular, and, as it were, somewhat cut away 
below ; and there is a deep groove and a defect of ossification on the 
floor of the anterior chamber of the auditory bulla. The frontal 
postorbital processes are well developed; and the skull is much 
pinched in behind them. There are small pointed malar processes; 
but these do not nearly join the former. The condyloid foramen is 
concealed. The cranial ridges are moderate. The paroccipital 
process does not depend. The mastoid is much as in Herpestes, as 
also is the carotid canal ; and there is a conspicuous carotid foramen 
in the basis cranii; and the artery enters the skull beside the posterior 
boundary of the sella turcica. The — 1s greatly prolonged behind 
the last molars. In C. fasciatus the cranial characters are similar, 
except that the short alisphenoid canal is better marked, the palate 
is rather less prolonged, and the postorbital processes more nearly 
join, and there may be but a very minute foramen instead of a slit 
beneath the auditory meatus. 
The dentition of C. obscurus is represented by De Blainville 
Ostéoe., Viverra, pl. 12). Its “? is quite two thirds the size of 
g p q 
M1 but is triangular, not quadrate. “+ is less trihedral than in 
Herpestes, and has two equally developed external cusps, external 
and parallel to which is araised straight cingulum. There is a large 
internal cusp ; and the hinder border of the tooth is concave. 4 
has a rather diminished posterior tubercle (compared with Her- 
pestes) ; so that the large inner cusp is placed rather more towards 
the middle of the tooth, the length of which is rather less in 
proportion to its breadth. The inner cusp also descends as much 
as do the outer ones; and the outer middle cusp scarcely descends 
below the anterior outer cusp. *-2 and = are as in Herpestes. 
ey 
—— is wanting. ;-5 is large, with five cusps. In ;,; the anterior 
cusp has become more decidedly internal, so that we have an 
external cusp opposite the internal one. There is a moderate 
talon. 7 has one very large cusp, in front of which may be a 
well-developed or a minute accessory cusp, while behind it there is a 
well-developed cusp, which has a more or less marked talon or 
minute accessory cusp at its base. 3 and 5, are as in Herpestes. 
ei 8 ard In C. fasciatus, *? is rather ce ae in proportion to 
pane and $= > and 5-= ae are larger. In a specimen in the British 
Marcin ‘abelled Ea gambianus (No. 55. 12. 24. 22 4), m2 
and ™=" are very narrow antero-posteriorly. In another skull, labelled 
M. zebra (No. 75. 2. 24. 18), there is a minute ™:? on each side, 
which measures 0!'-] antero-posteriorly and 0-25 transversely. 
The dimensions of the skins seen by me are as follows :—of 
C. obscurus, head and body abcut 37”, of tail 17"; of C. fasciatus, 
head and body about 45’5, of tail about 23”. 
