RHYZ.ENA TETRAD ACT YLA. 55 



The liver is divided into four lobes, besides the fissure for the liga- 

 menturu rotundum. The small one on the right side lies before, and 

 as it were encloses the upper part of the abdominal portion of the vena 

 cava inferior, the left side of which is behind the mesogaster, and be- 

 comes the lobulus Spigelii. The spleen is as in the lion, cat, dog, &c. 

 The kidneys are as in the lion, cat, genette, hyaena, &c. 



The female parts are very similar to those of the lioness. The ovaria 

 were attached to the sides of the abdomen by a muscular ligament which 

 arises insensibly out of the peritoneum where the diaphragm and trans- 

 verse muscles join; this passes down along the surface of the peri- 

 toneum on the lateral posterior parts of tbe abdomen, where it is lost. 

 This muscle would appear to counteract the ligamentum rotundum, 

 which is also muscular, and is inserted about one inch below the ovarium. 

 The capsula ovarii is not so complete as in the lion. At the anus there 

 are two bags as in the lion, cat, dog, &c. The anus and vulva recede 

 from one another by the common vagina bending downward, as it were, 

 round the pubis, which gives space between these parts for a considerable 

 fossa, which has externally two protuberant lips, the direction of which 

 is upward and downward, similar to the labia pudendi. The bottom of 

 this fossa divides into two lateral bags, which lie a little on the sides of 

 the vagina, where it is bent downward, and are covered by the sphincter 

 of that part. The coat of these bags is a gland which secretes the 

 essential oil called ' civet.' These bags and fossa? have hair on their 

 inside ; the bags are generally full of this oil, which is mixed with 

 dirt, &c. that gets into the fossae. 



[The Suricate ( Viverra (Rhyzcena) tetradactyla, Schreb. and Illig.) .] 



From Mr. Banks. 

 It can walk on the whole foot, both on the fore and the hind ; but 

 commonly walks on the toes of both. The nails are much longer on 

 the fore-feet than the hind : only four toes 1 . Head small, terminating 

 in a pretty long sharp nose, which projects as in the mongoose : the 

 outline is rather concave : its whole head is very like that [of the 

 mongoose] animal ; but the eyes are not so large. The ears are small 

 and a little projecting, but are flattened back. Its body is made bike a 

 ferret's ; but is not so long, and is rather thicker : the tail is longer than 

 a ferret's. The hair is thick and short about the neck and shoulders, 

 becoming longer, thinner and stronger on the back, which grows more 

 and more so to the tail. The lines of the palate are sections of circles 



1 [This remark serves mainly to determine the species : the rest of the description 

 agrees with the character and structure of the suricate. Home abstracts nothing 

 from the notes on this, to him, unknown animal "From Mr. Banks."] 



