674 ME. F. E. BEDDARD ON BASSABICYON ALLEXI. [June 3 9, 



large as in Bassaricyon. The third, fourth, and fifth cervicals have 

 in Bassaricyon double hypapophyses; these are absent in Cerco- 

 leptes. In the dorsal vertebrae the spine slopes backwards in the 

 first ten ; the change is so marked (as indeed it always is in this 

 group) that the spine of the eleventh is in absolute contact with 

 that of the teuth. Cercoleptes is similar in this point of structure. 



In the caudal series the first four vertebra? bear V-shaped chevrons 

 which are not ankjiosed to the centra. After this the two equivalent 

 processes widely diverge with each other and are firmly aukylosed. 

 In Cercoleptes the first five chevrons form complete canals aud are 

 detachable from the vertebrae ; that of the sixth is composed of 

 two pieces which nearly meet but are ankylosed with the centrum. 

 The rest are divergent and do not enclose a canal ; they are also 

 ankylosed. Since the tail of Cercolepteg is prehensile while that 

 of Bassaricyon is not, it is not surprising to find that the transverse 

 and other processes of the caudal vertebrae are more marked and 

 continue marked to nearer the end of the tail in that form than in 

 Bassaricyon. 



As already mentioned, there are thirteen pairs of ribs. Of these 

 the first nine are attached to the sternum. The capitula of the 

 first ten are intercentral in position; those of the rest have moved 

 back on to the centrum of their vertebra. A distinct tuberculum is 

 not visible after the tenth. In Cercoleptes there are fourteen pairs 

 of ribs ; the additional one in that animal differs from those which 

 precede it in the fact that it is attached not to the centrum of its 

 vertebra but to an apparent transverse process which, however, is 

 not ankylosed to the centrum and, moreover, is directed backwards 

 while those of the succeeding lumbar vertebrae are directed forwards, 

 In Bassaricyon the transverse processes of this vertebra ( which 

 certainly have not ribs, as the skeleton was most corefully pre- 

 served) have the same direction as those which follow, though they 

 are rather smaller. The first eleven ribs of Cercoleptes have capitula 

 which are intercentral in articulation. This eleventh rib is the last 

 which possesses a distinct tuberculum. Only nine, as in Bassari- 

 cyon, reach the sternum. In both genera the sternum consists of 

 nine pieces ; and in both the last but one is much smaller than 

 those on either side of it. 



The shoulder-girdle is very like that of Cercoleptes ; the outline 

 is precisely so, but the ridges, on the inner surface of which there 

 are four in I 'ercoleptes, are reduced to two. I saw no clavicle, which 

 if present must be very minute, as it is in Cercoleptes. As to the 

 remaining parts of the skeleton, I have noted no differences from 

 Cercoleptes. 



It may be useful to append to the foregoing notes upon the 

 structure of Bassaricyon a condensed definition of the genus. It 

 should certainly be referred to the Procyonidae, as has indeed been 

 the opinion of all recent writers. 



