424 MR. R. I. rococK ok thk external characters 



specialized mpiuber of the Alustelince or to place it in a subfamily 

 apart *. 



The Head. 



The forehead is higher and rounder in Meles than in Taxidea. 

 Tlie ear of Meles t is moderately Lu-ge with tolerably evenly 

 ronnded edge. It is simple in structure, the bursa being sup- 

 pressed ; the tragus is small and the antitragus scarcely 

 developed. The supratiagus [plica 2}rincipalis) is of average size 

 but not valvular, merely presenting a hemispheiical thickening. 

 The ear of Taxidea does not differ from that of 3Ieles in any 

 important particular apparently, although the. lamina is less 

 salient and its free edge is not continued inferiorly so far towards 

 a point beneath the intertragal notch [adiius ivferio')'). 



The fa:.ial I'ibrissce in Meles are reduced by the suppression of 

 the interramal tuft, and the superior genal tuft is at most repre- 

 sented by one short bristle at least in the specimens examined. 

 The mj'stacial and submental vibrisspe are moderatel}^ well deve- 

 loped, one of the latter on each side being exceptionally long ; the 

 inferior genal tuft is represented by one or two bi'istles behind 

 the corner of the mouth and the superciliary tuft hj two or more 

 over the eye. In Taxidea the tufts are normal in numbei' and 

 situation, the genal tufts being represented by about three 

 bristles, the upper being some distance below the level of the 

 eye ; but the interramal tuft has only about two short bi'istles. 



The nose of Meles is produced and snout-like, and overlaps the 

 under jaw conside'.'ably. The rhinariwni is exceptionally large ; 

 its upper surface is naked as far back as a line behind the 

 posterior ends of the nostrils. The anterior surface forms a 

 wide, deep, fiat disc, without trace of a median groove. The 

 inner expanded portion of the nostril is large, the outer forms a 

 long narrow slit extending horizontally to the lateral edge of the 

 rhinarium. The infranarial portion is exceptionally deep and 

 well developed both mesially .and laterally ; its inferior edge is 

 convex, but varies in the degree of convexity, and is sometimes 

 pvoduced into a point in the middle line ; but there is no philtrum 

 and the upper lip is hairy across the middle and uncleft. 



Judging from descriptions, the rhinarium of Arctonyx, which 

 has been compared to that of a pig, resembles tolerably closely 

 the rhinarium of Meles. 



The nose of Taxidea is less developed and less snout-like than 

 that of Meles. It does not overlap the lower jaw to the same 

 extent, arid is not so deep from the summit of the rhinarium to 

 the edge of the upper lip. The o'hinarium itself also differs from 

 that of Meles in being coA^ered above with hair neai'ly up to its 

 anterior edge, in havitig an anterior median groove, and in 



* See my paper on IleUivora and Gnlo (P. Z. S. 1920, pp. 179-187). 

 I Figured and descriljed bj' Boas, Olirlaiorpel der Saug. p. 150, pi. xxi. fig. 221 

 (1912). 



I 



