1847.] On the Cat-toed Suhplantigrades. 1125 



nothing very decisive as to the affinities of Ailurus with reference to the 

 grand divisional types. Looking to the chylopoetic viscera, for example, 

 the proportionate length of the intestinal canal is much nearer to that of 

 the Cats than to that of the Bears, whilst the absence of ccecum is more 

 Ursine than Feline. In the Bears (Helarctos)^the intestines are 12 or 13 

 lengths of the animal ; in the Cats but 3 to 4 ; in the Weasels, Viverrines 

 and Paradoxures, 4 to 6 ; the greater lengths belonging to the latter 

 two, which nearly agree in this respect with the Wahs, but differ from 

 them by the presence of the ccecum, which again the Weasels with but 

 4 lengths of intestine want, like the Ailuri with 5 lengths. Upon the 

 whole, though the foregone details of the structure and of the habits of 

 Ailurus cannot fail to be highly interesting to all real students of Zoo- 

 logy, yet the structural particulars want completeness fully to meet a 

 case of so much difficulty, although if a similar amount of information 

 were forthcoming relative to all the several animals composing that 

 group, with which I suppose Ailurus to be more immediately connected, 

 the question of proximate affinities at least would be placed in a toler- 

 ably clear light. Tbe genera to which I allude are Hemigalea, Nandi- 

 nia, Ambliodon vel Paguma, Cynogale, Cryptoprocta, with a Viverrine 

 dental formula — and Galidia, Galidictis, (Galictis of Geoff.), Bassaris, 

 Arctictis* and Cercoleptes, whose dental formula appears to be, at least 

 as to number and general character of teeth, identical with that of 

 Ailurus, due allowance being made for the disturbing influence of deci- 

 duousness in the pre-molars. 



The fortunate circumstance of our being enabled in regard to the 

 last named genus, or Cercoleptes, to refer to the investigations of a 

 Cuvier,f an Owen, J and a Humboldt, § exercised upon living and perfect 

 samples (not mere skins or bones) corroborates as far as it goes, the 

 correctness of the above conjectures, which are further confirmed by 

 Mr. Cantor's scanter but valuable notices|| of Arctictis. 



* There are some valuable particulars relative to Arctictis by Mr. Cantor in No. 171 

 of the Journal. The preputial gland and linear vertical pupil of the eye, and pre- 

 sence of a ccecum are notable coincidences with Paradoxurus and deviations frorri 

 Ailurus. 



t F. Cuvier apud Menagerie Royale, quoted by Griffith, Regne II. 266—9. 



X Zool. Jourl. Aug-. 25, 1835. 



§ Travels as quoted by Griffith, loc. cit. 



|| Asiatic Journal, Bengal, No. 171, pp. 192—4. 



