1885.] DR. ST. G. MIVART ON THE ARCTOIDEA. 373 



which is common to Asia and Africa, one species being found in 

 Western and Southern Africa and another in India. Badger-hke in 

 figure, with stout body, short limbs, and plantigrade extremities, they 

 have also a short tail, and external ears so small as to be rudimentary. 

 The pinna has hideed no free edge, but an obtuse thick hinder 

 margin, whence the transverse ridges proceed inwards. There is 

 no distinct tragus or antitragus. There is a rather pointed muzzle. 



The palmar and plantar surfaces are naked. In their peculiar 

 coloration (grey above, black below) they afford an instance of that 

 tendency to longitudinal markings which appears again and again in 

 Arctoid genera. 



There are 14 dorsal, 4 or 5 lumbar, 4 or 3 sacral, and 15 or 16 

 caudal vertebrae. Here the cervical region attains its greatest rela- 

 tive length in any Arctoid, while the lumbar region is shorter tlian 

 in any except Melursus ; and the fore and hind limbs are more 

 equal in length than in any others except Taxidea and Mijdaus. 



All the neural spines of the vertebrae, from the 15th to the 4th 

 sacral inclusive, are vertical. The lumbar transverse processes are 

 very small. The humerus has a large olecranal perforation, but 

 sometimes the internal condyloid canal is absent. Sir Richard 

 Owen says that there is no medullary cavity in the tibia '. 



The cranial characters have been described by Professor Flower^; 

 but it may be further noted that the paroccipital and mastoid pro- 

 cesses do not make a continuous ridge or wall. The latter process 

 hardly depends below the external meatus. The aspect of the 

 skull is very like that of Meles, but the f(jrehead is more rounded 

 transversely, and the sagittal ridge is much smaller, though the 

 zygomata are not so strongly arched and the infraorbital foramen is 

 much smaller. 



The angle of the mandible is less conspicuous than in Meles, 

 hardly more so than in Arctonyx, The margin of the mandible 

 below it is roughened and somewhat evened, so as to form a sort of 

 slightly defined subangular process. The palate is less prolonged 

 and its hinder part is bounded laterally by a very strong plate-like 

 ridge, which continues on to the hamular processes of the pterygoids, 

 which descend below the level of the palate in a very exceptional 

 manner. There is no malar postorbital process, and that of the 

 frontal is very blunt. 



Molar formula = P. | M. \, 



The third upper premolar is like that of the Civet, except that 

 the posterior cusp is more developed. The fourth premolar has 

 the external cusps (whereof the anterior is the larger) and a large 

 internal cusp, as in the Civet, opposite the principal external one. 

 The first upper molar is a short but wide tooth, considerably wider 



vail, Kong. Vet. Akad. Handl. 1841, p. 211 ; Sclater, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 98, pi. 8 ; 

 Wagner, Supp. ii. p. 207 ; Sparrmann in K. Vetensk. Acad. Handl. (1777) 

 p. 49, pi. 4 ; P. Gervais, Mamm. ii. p. 109. 



' P. Z. S. 1869, p. 12. 



^ Anat. of Vertebrates, vol. ii. p. 509. 



Paoc. ZooL. Soc— 18t^5, No. XXV. 25 



