CHARACTERS OF THE PROCYON1D.95. 409 



sharply circumscribed at the margins, and the glandular portion 

 is composed of well-developed normal skin-glands *. 



Potos also has a considerable amount of nearly naked skin on 

 the lower jaw and round the mouth. This, however, does not 

 appear to be especially glandular. Probably the absence of the 

 hair serves to keep the lips and chin clean from such sticky 

 substances as honey, on which the Kinkajou feeds. 



In Procyon, JVasua, and Potos the anus, like that of the 

 Ursidaa, Canidse, and others, opens in the centre of a circular, 

 slightly protuberant area of naked skin, separated by hair from 

 the scrotum or vulva. As Mivart stated, there is a pair of normal 

 anal glands in Procyon like those of the Canidae, but relatively 

 a little smaller. Mivart also states that these glands are present 

 in Potos ; but I entirely failed to find even a trace of them in 

 two examples, a male and female, the result of my examination 

 confirming Owen's statement that they are absent (Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 1835, p. 122). Beddarcl does not appear to have looked for them 

 in Bassaricyon. Their presence in Bassariscus was recorded by 

 Gervais in the following passage ( Voy. de la 'JBonite,' i. p. 19) : — 

 " Une petite plaque crypteuse circumanale existe a la terminaison 

 de 1'intestin, comme clans les Mangoustes, mais elle est moins 

 grande que dans ces animaux et a, sa surface debouchent de meme 

 les cleux conduits des glande's anales." Although this passage 

 suggests the presence in Bassariscus of a circumanal pouch like 

 that of the Mongooses, I am disposed to think Gervais was merelv 

 describing the button-like area of naked skin immediately sur- 

 rounding the anal orifice, such as is seen in Procyon or JVasua. 

 This supposition is borne out by what he says as to the position 

 of the orifices of the anal glands ; and is further supported by the 

 absence of a circumanal pouch in the male example of Bassariscus 

 I examined. 



In JVasua anal glands are present, but in a much modified 

 form, as Mivart pointed out. When the anus is opened, they 

 appear as a series of four or five parallel slits, each series being 

 set just within the orifice. The slits are the apertures of as 

 many narrow sacs formed by the folding of the anal integument. 

 These glands are quite different from those of any Carnivore 

 known to me, and serve to differentiate JVasua tolerably sharply 

 from its allies. 



Flower described the anus of the male of Ailurus, pointing out 

 the presence of a pair of normal anal glands and of a glandular 

 area round the anal orifice. In the male I examined, the 

 integument round the orifice corresponding to that seen in 

 Procyon, for example, is highly glandular, and partially insunk so 

 as to suggest the anal pouch of the Mungotida?. Pound it there 

 is a considerable area of naked skin extending inferiorly to the 



* These glnnds are conveniently placed for rubbing the secretion along the 

 branches of trees to enable Kinkajous to track each other by scent. Although I 

 have never noticed these animals behaving in a way to suggest that that is^the 

 function of the glands, I do not doubt that it is so T 



