100 DESCRIPTION 
nature, probably serves in this animal, as well as 
in the dogs, cats, &c., to break the fall in jumping, 
and other violent actions. In other respects there 
is nothing remarkable to be observed about the 
feet, except that the claws are long and mode- 
rately curved, very much compressed at the base, but 
broader towards the point, and hollowed or scooped. 
out beneath like a spoon, so as to adapt them admi- 
rably to the purpose of burrowing beneath the soil. 
In their entire form and structure the organs of 
locomotion are thus in most respects perfectly simi- 
lar to those of Herpestes, only that they are more 
completely digitigrade, in which character, as well as 
in the number of the toes, the Cynictis is more ana- 
logous to the Dog than to any genus of the Viverra 
family. 
“ But it is in the characters of its dental system 
that this new genus most closely approximates to the 
Civets, and by which its situation in the system of 
nature is determined to be in contiguity with that 
family. ‘The following formula expresses the num- 
ber and arrangement of the teeth, according to the 
plan followed by M. F. Cuvier in ‘ Les Dents des 
Mammifeéres.’ 
6 incisors 
20 superior .. | 2 canines (3 false 
12 molars..... 2 carnassiers 
38 Teeth... 6 incisors 4 tuberculous 
18 inferior ... | 2 canines 6 false 
10 molars ....- carnassiers 
2 tuberculous. ! 
