vivekeidjE. 41 



having bald soles to the hind feet and an additional false grinder on 

 each side of each jaw. 



Cryptoprocta ferox. B.M. 



Cryptoprocta ferox, Adolph. M.-Edw. ^ Alf. Orandidier, Ann. Sci. 



Nat. 1868, t. 1-4; Schlegd 8r Pollen, Farnie de Madagascar, ii. 



p. 13, t. 8. 

 Jimior. Cryptoprocta ferox, Bennett, P. Z. S. 1833, p. 46 ; 2Var»s. 



Zool. Soe. i. p. 137, t. 14; Slainv. Ostiogr. pp. 15, 96, t. 6 & 12; 



Gray, P. Z. S. 1864, p. 646. 

 Cryptoprocta typicus, A. Smith, S. African Quart. Jmurn. ii. p. 134. 



Hah. Madagascar (Charles Telfair). 



* Head elongate. TiAercidar grinders in the tipper and lower jaws. 



Fam. 4. VIVERRID^. 



Head elongate. Nose simple, flat and bald beneath, with a cen- 

 tral longitudiaal groove. Feet broad. Toes short, curved, arched, 

 covered with abundant close-spreading hairs, more or less webbed. 

 Claws short and retractile into a sheath. Tubercidar grinders two 

 on each side of the upper and one on each side of the lower jaw. 

 The fur soft, elastic, except in. the anomalous genus Arctitis, which 

 has a very harsh fur and a prehensile tail. 



The Viverridce include a considerable number of the middle-sized 

 and smaE Carnivora. They are aU natives of the Old World — that 

 is to say, Africa and Asia (one of the species spreading itself over 

 some of the southern parts of Europe). 



The greater number of the species are found in Africa, and several 

 are confined to Madagascar ; others are inhabitants of various parts 

 of Asia. Some species of the genera, as here revised, come from 

 Africa, and others from Asia ; but I do not know of any species but 

 Viverrieula malaceensis which is common to the two sections of the 

 Old World. 



The essential character of the Viverridse is to have two tubercular 

 grinders on each side of the upper jaw, and one on each side of the 

 lower. In the genera Linsang and Poiana the hinder upper tuber- 

 cular grinder is absent, and the teeth agree in number with those of 

 the genus Felis ; but the shape of the skull and teeth show that they 

 belong to this family. There are generally three false grinders 

 before the flesh- tooth; but in some genera the front one, which is 

 often very small, is entirely wanting, or sometimes falls out early. 



