194 CARNIVOEA. 



that any affinity which it manifests in the direction of S. nipalensis is through the 

 intermediately lying form S. moscJiata, which by its geographical position and 

 doubtless by its genesis is related much more to S. nipalensis than to S. 

 subaurantiaca, Swinhoe, the skull of which in its dentition and the size of its 

 infraorbital foramen belongs to the same type as S. moschata, Gray, whereas the 

 skull of H. nipalensis, Hodg., in these details is closely allied to S. orientalis, 

 Horsfd. The following are some of the details by which these species may be 

 recognised. S. orientalis is distinguished from JS. nipalensis by the shortness of its 

 alveolar border, including that of the premaxilla, so that the former has a shorter 

 muzzle than the latter ; whereas in H. moschata and S. suhaurantiaca the alveolar 

 length is almost equal, and considerably in excess of S. orientalis and shorter than 

 S. nipalensis, and the posterior portion of the palate in all the species, except K, 

 orientalis, is concave, and the portion behind the last molar is longer and broader 

 in S. moschata. In all, with the exception of H. nipalensis, the external margin of 

 the palatines where they project behind, forming the wall of the posterior nares, 

 present a faint ridge externally, with a convex surface outside it which is wanting 

 in S. nipalensis. The skull of II. orientalis is distinguished by the shortness of the 

 interval between the narial margin of the palatines and the tip of the hook-like 

 process of the pterygoids, which is less than in any of the other species. The skuU of 

 S. nipalensis is considerably broader across the zygomatic arch, external to the 

 condyle, than in H. orientalis ; the former also has a longer muzzle than the latter, 

 as is shown by the distance from the external orbital angle to the tip of the pre- 

 maxillaries, and from the front of the penultimate molar to the same point, both of 

 which distances in II. nipalensis exceed those of II. orientalis. In the former, the 

 muzzle is also narrower across its middle than in the latter, and the nasals are con- 

 tracted about the same position in their length, and rounded, and somewhat expanded 

 and pointed posteriorly. The premaxillaries of M. orientalis nearly touch the 

 nasals, but in H. nipalensis they are considerably removed from these bones. 

 The tympanic bullae of the latter are somewhat less distended and smaller than in 

 the former. 



The skull of S. moschata is long, and in this respect resembles H. nipalensis, 

 and differs from the short skull of II. orientalis ; it is, however, markedly separated 

 from these two species by its small teeth and by the great capacity of its infra- 

 orbital foramen. Its muzzle has about the same length and proportions as 

 jff. nipalensis, but the long posterior portion of the palate, which is broader and 

 more decidedly concave than in that species, has a ridged and rounded lateral border. 

 In jff. moschata and H. suhaurantiaca the length of the two skuUs is about the 

 same, and the two palates are nearly of equal dimensions, that of the former beinf 

 slightly in excess of the latter, but not to a greater extent than would be accounted 

 for by difference of sex or age, for in other respects the skulls are essentially alike. 

 In the length of the palate, H. moschata agrees with H. nipalensis, which, on 

 the other hand, is considerably in excess of the palatal length of B^. orientalis. 

 The difference in length of palate that exists between H. moschata and JS. sub- 



