424 



MR. R. I. rOCOCK ON THE EXTERNAL CHARACTERS 



specialized m<^niber of the Mustelince or to place it m a, subfaniil}^ 

 apart*. 



The Head. 



The forehead is higher and rounder in Meles than in Taxidea. 

 The ear of Meles t is moderately large with tolerably evenly 

 rounded edge. It is simple in structure, the bursa being sup- 

 pressed ; the tragus is small and the antitragus scarcely 

 developed. The supratragus {plica 2)rincipalis) is of average size 

 but not valvular, merely presenting a hemispherical thickening. 

 The ear of Taxidea does not differ from that of Meles in any 

 important particular apparently, although the lamina is less 

 salient and its free edge is not continued inferiorly so far towards 

 a point beneath the intertraga.l notch [adiius inferior). 



The fa':ial vibrissa in Meles are reduced by the suppression of 

 the interramal tuft, and the superior genal tuft is at most repre- 

 sented by one short bristle at least in the specimens examined. 

 Tiie mystacial and submental vil)rissa? are moderately well deve- 

 loped, one of the latter on eflch side being exceptional]3Mong ; the 

 inferior genal tuft is represented by one or two bristles behind 

 the corner of the mouth and the superciliary tuft by two or more 

 over the eye. In Taxidea the tufts are normal in number and 

 situation, the genal tufts being represented by about three 

 bristles, the upper being some distance below the level of the 

 eye ; but the interramal tuit has only about two short bristles. 



'V\\Q nose of Meles is produced and snout-like, and overlaps the 

 under jaw considerably. The rhinarium is exceptionally lai'ge ; 

 its upper surface is naked as far back as a line behind the 

 posterior ends of the nostrils. The anterior surface forms a 

 wide, deep, flat disc, without trace of a median groove. The 

 inner expanded portion of the nostril is large, the outer forms a 

 long narrow sUt extending horizontally to the lateral edge of the 

 rhinarium. The infranarial portion is exceptionally deep and 

 well developed both mesially and laterally ; its inferior edge is 

 convex, but varies in the degree of convexity, and is sometimes 

 produced into a point in the middle line ; but there is no philtrum 

 and the upper lip is hairy across the middle and uncleft. 



Judging fiom descriptions, the rhinarium of Arctonyx, which 

 has been compared to that of a pig, resembles tolerably closely 

 the rhinarium of Meles. 



The nose of Taxidea is less developed and less snout-like than 

 that of Meles. It does not overlap the lower jaw to the same 

 extent, and is not so deep from the summit of the rhinarium to 

 the edge of the upper lip. The rhinarium. itself also differs from 

 that of Meles in being covered above with hair neai-ly up to its 

 anterior edge, in having an anterior median groove, and in 



* See my paper on Ifellicnra niul Giilo (P. Z. S. 1920, pp. 179-187). 

 t Figured and described hy Bons, Olirknorpel der Sang. p. 150, pi. xxi. fig, 221 

 (1912). 



