44 TIVEEKID^. 



the slightest relation to each other, and which he never could have 

 united if he had seen authentic specimens of them. Thus he unites 

 P. Grayi, P. nipalensis, and P. laniger to P. larvatus, and P. Orossi 

 and P. Pallasii to P. miisanga, regarding P. bondar as separate. 

 Now if he had united P. Orayi, P. nipalensis, P. laniger, P. Grossi, 

 and P. bondar together, he would have had the excuse that they 

 all have some similarity of external appearance ; and he might have 

 heen misled if he had only casually looked at them through the glass 

 of the cases in the museum, as he looked at some specimens which 

 he says he saw when in England. Synonyms cannot he determined 

 by such an examination, nor is science advanced by such assertions. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



A. Digitigrade. The underside of the hind feet hairy, except the pads, meta- 



tarsus, and sometimes a small part of the tarsus. Upper flesh-tooth 

 elongate; upper tvhercular grinder small, transverse. Nose short; 

 underside flat, xvith a central groove. Viverracea. 



I. Body robust ; tubercular grinders f . f ; back of tarsus hairy. 

 Viverrina. 



1. VrvEEEA. Legs moderate, equal. Head elongate. TaU co- 



nical, ringed. Back crested. Orbit of skull incomplete. 



2. VivEEBicuLA, Legs moderate, equal. Tail conical, ringed. 



Back not crested ; heel with a small bald spot. Orbit of 

 skuU complete. 



II. Body robust ; tubercular grinders -f- . -f ; underside of the tarsus with 

 a narrow naked streak. Genettina. 



3. Gbnetta. Back with a black suberectUe streak. 



4. Fossa. Back without any central streak. 



III. Body slender, elongate ; tubercular grinders \. Prionodontina. 



5. LiirsANG. Back of tarsus hairy. 



6. PoiANA. Back of tarsus with a narrow naked streak. 



B. Subplantigrade. The underside of the toes and more or less of the back 



of the tarsus naked, callous. Flesh-tooth strong, upper tiibercular grin- 

 ders large, broad. Nose short, underside flat, with a central groove. 



I. The hinder part of the tarsus hairy to the palm; the tail bushy. 

 Galidiina. 



7. Galidia. 



II. The upper part of the hinder part of the tarsus hairy ; tail ringed. 

 Hemigalina. 



8. Hemiqalba. 



