ON THE EXTERNAL CHARACTERS OP THE MUSTELID^. 803 



41. On the External Characters and Classification of the 

 Mustelidfe. By R. I. Pocock, F.E,.S., F.Z.S. 



[Received June 6, 1921 : Read November 8, 1921.] 



(Text-figures 27-39.) 



Contents. Page 



Introduction 803 



The Rhinarium 805 



The Facial Vibrissse 811 



The External Ear 811 



The Feet 814 



The Anus and External Genitalia 827 



The Classification of the Mustelidpe 829 



hitroduction. 



In 1869 Gray (Oat. Carnivorous etc. Mammals Brit. Mus. 

 pp. 79-142) relegated the genera which by all modern zoologists 

 are referred to the family Mustelidse to two families, Mustelidse 

 and Melinidte. The Mustelidse were divided into the following 

 tribes: — (1) Mustelina for Maries, Mustela, Putorius, Gulo, 

 Galera, Gi'ison ; (2) Lutrina for Lut7'a and other genera of 

 typical otters ; (3) Enhydrina for Enhydra. The Melinidse were 

 similarly divided into the tribes : — (1) Melina for Arctonyx, 

 Meles, Taxidea, Mydaus ; (2) Mellivorina for Mellivora ; (3) Me- 

 phitina for Mephitis, Conepatus, Spilogcde ; (4) Zorillina for 

 Zorilla \j=Ictonyx\ ; (5) Helictidina for Helictis. 



From my present standpoint the interest of Gray's classification 

 lies in its influence upon Gill, who in 1872 (Smiths. Misc. Coll. 

 xi. pp. 64-65) followed Flower (P. Z. >S. 1869, pp. 11-15) in fusing 

 the Melinidse and Mustelidse into one family, for which the latter 

 na.me was retained, and elevated all Gray's tribes to the rank 

 of subfamilies — Mustelinte, Melin?e, Zorillinse, Mephitinse, etc. 

 As will appear in the sequel, this classification in my opinion 

 better expresses the affinities of the genera dealt with than any 

 that followed it *. 



In 1883 Flower (Encycl. Brit., Mammalia, pp. 439-440) divided 

 the Mustelidse into the following subfamilies : — 



(1) Melinse for Mephitis, Arctonyx, Meles, Mydaus, Taxidea, 

 Mellivora, Helictis, Ictonyx. 

 ■ (2) Mustelinse for Galictis[Tayra + Grisoii], Mustela [=Martes^, 

 JActoriits \^=Mtcstela'], Gido. 

 (3) Lutrinse for Ltitra, Aonyx, Enhydra \_=zLatax~]. 



This arrangement, based mainly on the structure of the feet, 



* I have intentionally ignored such family names as Mellivoridsg, Zorillidae, etc., 

 proposed by Rochebrune and Mephitida; proposed b}" Rhoads, because no attempt 

 was made to define the families thus casually designated and no reasons were given 

 for assigning that rank to the groups. 



