392 MR. R. I. POCOCK ON TUE EXTERNAL 



present paper is based mainly upon the Procyonidae examined in 

 the Prosectorium, 



The following material has passed through my hands : — 



Ailurus fidgens. — Several specimens of both sexes. 



Procyon lotor or closely-allied forms. — Several specimens of 

 both sexes. 



JVasua nasua (ring-tailed Coati Mondi, with a dark snout and 

 distinctly ringed tail). — Several specimens. 



Nasua narica (the white-nosed Coati Mondi, with a white 

 snout and indistinctly ringed tail). — Several specimens. 



Bassaricyon sp. — A single specimen, sent on approval by 

 Mr, Cross, the animal dealer, which died on the day of its 

 arrival and had to be returned to the vendor. Of this 

 only the feet and rhinarium wei^e sketched. My observa- 

 tions on this genus have been supplemented by an 

 examination of the dried skins in the British Museum, 



The example of this genus dissected by Mi\ Beddard 

 (Proc, Zool, Soc. 1900, pp. 661-675) was converted into a 

 skeleton. 



Potos caudivolvulus or closely- allied forms. — Several specimens 

 of both sexes. 



Bassariscus astutus. — A single immature male preserved in 

 alcohol — probably the specimen whose anatomy was 

 described by Mr. Beddard (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1898, 

 pp. 129-131). 



Jentinhia^ sumichrasti. — Dried skins in the Natural History 

 Museum. This Cacomistle is sometimes admitted as a 

 subgenus of Bassariscus. I have provisionally quoted it 

 as a distinct genus, the material available being insufficient 

 to establish the absolute constancy of the differences in 

 the feet observable between astutus and sumichrasti. 



Ailuropoda, melanoleuca. — Mounted specimen and skull in the 

 Natural Histoi-y Museum. 



The skulls examined are in the collection of the Zoological 

 Society and in the Natural History Museum. 



The External Ear. 



As recorded by previous authors, the pinna of the ear varies 

 in shape and size, being short and rounded in JVaszia, Potos, 

 and Bassaricyon, longer, more pointed, and more expanded in 

 Procyon, Bassariscus, Jentinkia, and Ailu7-us. The cartilages 

 strengthening the base of the ear are simple and normally 

 carnivorous in their arrangement, requiring no special descrip- 

 tion, especially as they vary in development to a certain extent 



* Proposed by Trouessart (Cat. Mamm. Siippl. p. 184, 1904) to replace the pre- 

 occupied name TFa^Heria Jentink (Notes Leyd. Mns. viii. p. 129, 1886) based on the 

 dift'erences l)etweeii B. variabilis [sumichrasti'] and astutus pointed out by Peters 

 (Mon. Ak. Wiss. Berlin, 1874, pp. 704-705). 



