CLASSIFICATION OF THE RIUSTELID/E. 835 



from bulla, the latter rounded in front and remote from liiunular; 

 palatine foramina on suture. Lower earnassial without meta- 

 conid ; last lower molar lost; upper molar with wide cingulum. 

 Feet very broad, digits closely tied, with large carpal and meta- 

 tarsal pads in contact with wide plnntar pads. Pinna of ear 

 reduced to an integumental thickening. A glandular pouch 

 round anus. 



Genus Mellivora. 



Subfamily Ictonychin.e. 

 (=Zoi'iUince Gray & Gill.) 



Periotic hollow larger, extending to tip of mastoid, which, like 

 the paroccipital, is close to the bulla ; the latter pointed in front 

 and fused with ham ular ; palatine foramina on maxilla. Lower 

 earnassial with high acute metaconid ; last lower molar retained ; 

 upper molar without wide cingulum. Feet narrow, but claws 

 long, the digits widely separable ; pads small, carpals separated 

 from plantar pad ; metatarsal absent. Ears with large pinna. 

 Circumanal integument unmodified. 



Genera Ictonyx [Zorilla) and Fcecilictis. (? P oecilogale.) 



i'. Teeth not sectorial ; upper earnassial enormous, with very large bicuspid 

 talon ; molar a little smaller than earnassial, triangular, its inner and 

 anterior borders subequal as in Melinfe ; lower earnassial with large 

 cuspidate heel and large metaconid ; occipital crest rising neai'ly 

 vertically from mastoid, and nearly semicircular from posterior aspect. 



■ Subfamily Taxidiin^ Pocock. 



Feet broad and fossorial with long claws as in Mellivorinse, 

 but plantar padLs narrower, a single small carpal pad remote from 

 plantar pad, and no metatarsal pad. JSTo glandular pouch 

 associated with anus. Ear with pinna well developed. 



Genus Taxidea. 



h'. Tympanic annulns confluent at its summit with roof of bulla ; posterior 

 -rafter-like partition of the bulla close down upon the petrous, leaving 

 a narrow passage between the two chambers, the postei'ior of which is 

 markedly multilocular ; bullaj remote from glenoid in front. 



Subfamily GRisoNiNyE, nov. 



Teeth as in Mustelinas, but talon of upper earnassial much 

 larger, occupying nearly half the inner surface of the tooth ; 

 palatine foramina maxillary. Feet not fossorial, almost as in 

 Tayrinje, but with carpal pads farther from plantar pad. Pinna 

 of ear well developed with bursa present, but small and in front 

 of posterior margin. No subcaudal pouch. 



Genera Grison, Gi'isonella. 



