EXTERNAL CHARACTERS OF THE MUSTELIDiE. 825 



thickenings representing mefcatavsal pads ; the plantar pad of 

 the hind foob is about as wide as long and markedly three-lobed 

 (Hodgson probably accidentally omitted the hallucal element) 

 and narrower than the foou; the digital pads of both feet are oval 

 and well defined. In the fore foob the plantar pad is markedly 

 four-lobed and wider than long, and sepanited from it by a con- 

 siderable space are the two rather large carpal pads, which are 

 together about as wide as the plantar pad. The pads are coarsely 

 granular and tessellated. 



The fore foob of Melllvora resembles that of Taxklea rather 

 than that of Meles in the large size of the digital pads and the 

 extension of the webbing along their edges, but the plantar pad 

 is as wide as in Meles, and the poUex is shorter than in either 

 genus. The carpal pads also are much larger than in either, the 

 outer moiety being a large subspherical mass at least as long and 

 half as wide as the plantar pad, while the much smaller, smooth 

 pollical portion is also larger than in Meles, and the two are 

 separated from the plantar pad by a narrower stiip of integument, 

 which has no hairs upon it. The hind foot is like that of Meles, 

 except that the digital pads are larger and more fully webbed, 

 the plantar and metatarsal pads are larger, and the rest of the 

 metatarsal area covered with naked wrinkled skin. 



In Sjiilogale, Mephitis, and Conepatas the pads are granular 

 and the lower surface of the feet is naked, at least as far back as 

 the posterior border of the carpal and metatarsal pads, which 

 are well developed. Moreover in all the examples of Mejyhitis 

 and of Gonepatus examined the lieel from the metatarsal pad 

 upwards is covered with naked wrinkled skin. Spiloc/ale seems 

 to have the feet less specialised for digging than the other genera, 

 in the sense that the plantar pads are more distinctly broken up 

 into four lobes and the cai-pal and metatarsal pads more reduced, 

 the latter being, at all events in some cases, marked by a distinct 

 longitudinal groove defining the two elements ; and the third and 

 fourth digits of the hind foot, although closer to each other than 

 to the second and fifth respectively, have the digital pads unf used. 

 (Text-fig. 36, A, B.) 



In the several unlocalised examples of Mephitis examined there 

 is naturally some variation in the size and shape of the pads, 

 the two carpals being sometimes large and in contact, sometimes 

 smaller and separated ; but in all cases the pads are relatively 

 larger than in S2Jilogale and less subdivided, and the digits are 

 shorter a,nd more fully webbed, the pads of the third and 

 fourth of the hind foot being fused in the middle lire. (Text- 

 fig. 36, 0, D.) 



A further stage of specialisation is seen in Conejxitus proteus, 

 where the plantar, carpal, and metatarsal pads are as well deve- 

 loped as in any example of Mephitis ; but the digital pads are 

 larger and are united by webbing almost up to their proximal 

 ends. (Text-fig. 37, A, B.) 



The most highly specialised type of fossorial foot is perhaps 



55* 



