CHARACTERS OF THE VIVERRIKLE. 139 



these ridges being continuously hairy from side to side across the 

 metatarsus. 



The Feet as a Test of Specialisation. 



In attempting to estimate by the structure of the feet the 

 degree of specialisation of the four genera of Viverrine Car- 

 nivores, it may be assumed that this group is a specialised 

 offshoot of a group of which the Paradoxures and their allies are 

 existing representatives ; and that this Paradoxurine group had 

 feet not only with the area between the plantar and digital pads 

 naked, but also the area behind the plantar pad. This latter area 

 extended on the hind foot up to or almost up to the heel (tarsus) 

 and covered nearly the whole width of the underside of the meta- 

 tarsus. On the fore foot it included two large carpal pads, together 

 approximately equalling or surpassing in size the plantar pad. 

 The inner or radial carpal pad was in contact with the well 

 developed pollical lobe of the plantar pad, and the outer or 

 ulnar carpal pad similarly reached the external lateral lobe of 

 the plantar pad. The centi'al space between the median portion 

 of the plantar pad and the carpal pads was depressed and covered 

 with thinner naked skin. The pollex and hallux were low down, 

 only a little distance behind the second digits of the paws, and 

 abutted against the pollical and hallucal lobes of the plantar pad 

 respectively. 



The Viverrine genera above enumerated show to a varying 

 extent departure from the type of foot just described in the 

 following particulars: — (1) Growth of hair over the naked 

 integument ; (2) reduction in the size of the carpal pads and 

 of the pollical and hallucal elements of the plantar pads ; 

 (3) separation of the pollex and hallux and of the carpal pad 

 from the plantar pad. 



Those genera which exhibit these modifications in the most 

 marked degree are the most specialised, and those in which they 

 are least marked are the most primitive of the group, so far at all 

 events as the feet are concerned. 



Judged by this standard the genera may be arranged from 

 highest to lowest in the following order: — (1) Viverricula, 

 (2) Viverra, (3) Civettictis, (4) Genetta. Or perhaps they should 

 rather be placed in pairs, the Asiatic genera Viverricula and 

 Viverra standing together at a considerably higher level than 

 the two African genera Civettictis and Gevetta. 



In the high position of the pollex and hallux, the feet of 

 Viverricula are the most specialised and the most feline of the 

 section. On the other hand, the skin-lobes sheathing the claws 

 in Viverra are also a specialised and feline feature. 



Civettictis is certainly more primitive than Viverra. Not only 

 is the area between the plantar and digital pads naked, but in the 

 fore foot this naked area is extended backwards on each side to 

 the carpal pad. The carpal pad also is much larger and has its 



