462 ‘PROF. ST.-GEORGE MIVART ON THE ZLUROIDEA. [June 6, 
vanishing atthe 5th. Metapophyses are also developed beneath the 
preezygapophyses of the 3rd, 4th and 5th vertebree, and may be traced 
in some of the larger Cats on the hinder part of the neural arch of 
the last four cervical vertebree. The transverse processes form large 
osseous plates in Proteles, much as in Viverra; nevertheless in 
Hyena they are relatively very small, smaller and less plate-like than 
even in the Cats. 
The Dorsal Vertebre. 
The greatest length of the dorsal region which I have met with is 
39''-4 (Crocuéa) and 38"-0 (Felis tigris). 
Its greatest relative Jengths (the spine, from the preaxial margin of 
the atlas to the postaxia] margin of the sacrum, being taken as 100) 
are 45°6 (Hyena) and 45:4 (Suricata); the smallest are 34:4 (Ge- 
netta) and 34'8 (Cynictis). The Felide 1 find to vary from 36:1 
to 39:2, the Viverride from 34:4 to 45°4, and the Hyenide 
from 40°4 (Proteles) to 45°6, as above given. 
Compared with the cervical region, its greatest lengths are in Arc- 
tictis and in Suricata, viz. as 238°2 and 231°6 to 100 respectively. 
It is often nearly twice as long as the cervical region. It exceeds 
the cervical region least in Proteles, where it is but 122°7 to 100. 
The greatest number of dorsal vertebrze is found in all Hyenide, 
viz. 15. I have found 14 in Paradozurus, Arctictis, Cynogale, some 
Herpestes, Bdeogale, Crossarchus, and Galidictis, 13 in the other 
enera. 
si The dorsal spinous processes are generally more relatively ex- 
tended antero-posteriorly—more plate-like—in the Viverride than in 
the Felidae, especially in at least some Herpestes and in Eupleres and 
Suricata. In Arctictis these spines are exceptionally low and 
inclined postaxiad ; that of the first dorsal nearly equals in length 
that of the seventh cervical. On the other hand, in Hyena the 
difference in length between these two spinous processes is at its 
maximum. 
Generally, as in the Cat, the 11th dorsal vertebra is the first the 
spinous process of which begins to incline preaxiad. 
In Galidictis the spine of the 12th dorsal is vertical, while those 
of the 11th and 13th incline towards it. 
In Hemigalea the spine of the 11th dorsal inclines forwards, 
meeting that of the 10th. 
In Cynictis it is the 13th vertebra which first inclines preaxiad. 
In Eupleres and Suricata it is the 12th which so inclines, and 
this is the first to have the anapophyses and metapophyses distinctly 
differentiated. 
In Felis catus these latter processes are quite distinct on the 11th 
dorsal vertebra. 
In Hyena the change which takes place in the direction of the 
dorsal spinous processes is a gradual one between the 12th and 14th 
vertebre, the 13th being nearly upright. 
Proteles exhibits a very exceptional character: the spinous pro- 
