450 



CAENIVORA 



(I 



but evidently inflated, the large meatus without trace of tube ; 

 posterior inflated. part of bulla moderate, much less high than 

 wide, extending downward about to level of palate, and laterally 

 barely reaching mastoid level, the greatest transverse diameter 

 of inflated portion about two-thirds least breadth of basioccipital ; 

 paroccipital process short and wide, applied to and completely 

 covering posterior surface of bulla, but not thin and scale-like 

 as in Mungos widdringtonii ; lambdoid crest high ; sagittal crest 

 evident posteriorly, but low and inconspicuous over middle and 

 fore part of brain-case ; mandible slender, the entire lower 

 border convex to level of middle of coronoid process, the 

 convexity scarcely more evident posteriorly than anteriorly ; 

 coronoid process with height above condyle about equal to width 

 at same level. 



Teeth. — The teeth do not differ markedly from those of 

 Mungos widdringtonii except that they 

 are less robust, a peculiarity especially 

 noticeable in the lower premolars. 

 Lower incisors very slender, with biloba- 

 tion obscure. Anterior premolar both 

 above and below simple, actually as well 

 fi as relatively larger than in Mungos wid- 



kf (f dringtonii, its size greater than that of 



corresponding outer incisor, pm-^ with 

 minute postero-basal cusp ; second and 

 third premolars triangular when viewed 

 from the side, the two upper teeth with- 

 out true secondary cusps, but both with 

 cingulum rather prominent before and 

 behind, and pm 3 often with a minute 

 lobe near base of posterior cutting edge ; 

 inner median projection well developed 

 and bearing a small cusp in pm 3 , slightly 

 indicated in pin 2 ; the two lower teeth with base scarcely longer, 

 both with small 1 but evident anterior and posterior cingulum 

 cusp, and pm 3 with well developed median cusp on posterior 

 cutting edge ; fourth lower premolar like second and third 

 but larger, the crown less narrow behind, and the cusp on 

 posterior cutting edge better developed. Upper carnassial-with 

 well developed, cusp-bearing antero-internal lobe, the area of 

 which is distinctly less than that of posterior heel ; antero- 

 external corner of crown with cusp-like cingulum; anterior 

 border of crown rather abruptly concave ; lower carnassial with 

 the three anterior cusps large, the antero-external highest, the 

 antero-internal less elevated, the postero-internal barely half the 

 height of the others ; posterior heel with area considerably less 

 than half that of anterior portion of crown and not equal to that 

 of posterior molar, a low but evident cusp near middle. First 

 upper molar as in Mungos, but anterior border scarcely convex 



Pia. 95. 



Genetta genetta. 

 Teeth. Nat. size. 



