196 PROF. ST.-GEORGE MIVART ON THE ZLUROIDEA. [Feb. 7, 
The stomach! is much bent on itself, but has a considerable 
' cardiac pouch. The small intestines are 4 feet 3 inches long; the 
large intestine is 5} inches, and the ceecum 1% inch. The latter 
narrows gradually to its extremity. 
There is a very large supracondyloid foramen, and a very large bone 
to the penis. 
The characters of the subfamily Cryptoproctine will then be as 
follows :— 
(1) Claws very curved, sharp, and semiretractile. 
(2) Postorbital processes long, but not enclosing orbits. 
(3) Hinder chamber of bulla not distinctly everted. 
(4) Hinder margin of auditory opening rather the more projecting. 
(5) Floor of anterior part of bulla not fissured or pitted. 
(6) Angle of mandible not everted. 
(7) Mastoid rather prominent. 
(8) Paroccipital processes not depending. 
(9) Aperture of auditory meatus rounded, of moderate size. 
(10) An alisphenoid canal. 
(11) Carotid artery not perforating the basis cranii conspicuously. 
(12) No prescrotal glands? 
(13) Anus opening into a sac. 
(14) One pair of anal glands ? 
(15) A very large supracondyloid foramen to humerus. 
(16) Pollex and hallux both present. 
(17) Czecum moderate. 
(18) Tarsus and metatarsus bald. 
(19) Nose and upper lip medianly grooved. 
(20) Dentition very feline, save that there is a double-rooted 5. 
(21) Tail long. ; 
(22) Os penis very large. 
With Cryptoprocta ends the list of genera which I am disposed to 
class in the family Viverride, following, as I do, Mr. Turner and 
Professor Flower in ranking the Hyzenas as a group of proximately 
coordinate value with the Feline and Viverrine families. 
Nevertheless I believe that the Hyenide are closely allied to the 
Herpestine—so much so that, had the Madagascar Viverrines no 
existence, I should feel a certain temptation to exclude the Ichneu- 
mons and their allies from the Viverrid@, and make of them a family 
Herpestide, under which the Hyzenas could then be grouped. As 
it is, however, the plan I have adopted seems to me to be perhaps 
best calculated to express the affinities of the existing Hluroidea. 
The characters of the entire family Viverride, thus understood, 
may be expressed as follows :— 
(1) There may or may not bea pollex ; but in the large majority of 
species there is one. 
(2) There may or may not bea hallux ; but in the large majority of 
species there is one. 
(3) The ungual phalanges may or may not be strongly arched ; but 
' Bennett, /. c. p. 189. 
