140 MR. R. I. POCOCK ON EXTERNAL 



ulnar or inner moiety well developed and the pollical and hallueal 

 elements of the plantar pad form tolerably large excrescences*. 

 Finally, in the hind feet remains of the naked metatarsal area 

 persist as the small bilobed pad. 



Between Civettictis and Genetta it is not easy to make a choice 

 as regards degree of specialisation of the feet. The feet of Genetta 

 are thickly hairy between the plantar and digital pads, the claws 

 are short, partially retractile, and protected by small lobes of hairy 

 skin, thus approaching those of Viverra. On the other hand, the 

 pollical and hallueal lobes of the plantar pad are considerably 

 larger than in Civettictis, and the carpal pads are not only larger, 

 especially antero-posteriorly, but are situated nearer the plantar 

 pad, both primitive features. Finally , in the hind limb the primitive 

 naked area beneath the metatarsus is represented by the pair of 

 median juxtaposed ridges above described. This is a much more 

 primitive condition than that seen in any of the so-called Civets, 

 two of which, Viverra and Viverricula, have lost all trace of this 

 naked metatarsal area, while in Civettictis it is merely represented 

 by the small bilobed metatarsal pad. 



Vibrissas and Rhinarium of Viverrinse. 



In the four genera here recognised as composing this subfamily, 

 the vibrissa? are well developed and quite normal for the Carni- 

 vora — that is to say, there are an interramal tuft and two genal 

 tufts in addition to the superciliary and mystacial tufts. 



The rhinarium shows some interesting differences in the types 

 examined. Daubenton long ago pointed out that the rhinarium 

 of Viverra zibetha differs from that of Civettictis civetta. In the 

 former (text-fig. 4, 0, D) it is slightly convex antero-posteriorly 

 above owing to the elevation of its lateral portion, but from the 

 anterior view it is lightly bi- convex owing to a longitudinal 

 depression along the middle line. The anterior median sulcus 

 dividing its narrow labial portion scarcely extends above that 

 portion, being obsolete, or nearly so, on the internarial area. In 

 C. civetta (text-fig. 4, A, B) this groove is similarly shallow or 

 indistinct above, but the upper margin of the rhinarium is more 

 evenly convex from side to side, without trace of median de- 

 pression, and in profile view it is straight, the lateral portion of 

 the upper surface not being elevated. In Viverricula the rhina- 

 rium is like that of Civettictis in shape, but the infra-narial 

 portion is narrower and the median sulcus extending from the 

 labial portion is stronger and reaches up to the internarial area. 

 In Genetta rubiginosa (text-fig. 4, E, F) the upper surface is flat 

 in profile ; while from the anterior aspect it is also flat with 

 strongly rounded angles, but not biconvex as in V. zibetha, nor 

 uniformly convex from side to side as in Civettictis civetta ; and 



* Provisionally, at all events, I do not attach much weight to this difference 

 because, since Hodgson figured a small hallueal element in Viverra zibetha, the 

 character must be variable and we do not know the extent of the variation. 



