32 
MR.  W.  OGILBY'S  DESCRIPTION  OF  CYNICTIS, 
two  tubercles,  separated  from  one  another  by  a  transverse  depression  :  in  other  respects 
it  resembles  the  superior  tuberculous  teeth. 
In  their  reciprocal  position  the  crowns  are  not  directly  opposed  to  one  another,  as  in 
herbivorous  animals  ;  but  those  of  the  lower  jaw  pass  on  both  sides  within  those  of  the 
upper,  the  tubercles  of  the  one  corresponding  regularly  to  the  depressions  of  the  other, 
and  thus  forming  an  admirable  instrument  for  cutting,  which  acts  precisely  upon  the 
principle  of  a  pair  of  scissors.  The  incisor  and  tuberculous  teeth  alone  have  their 
crowns  in  contact  with  one  another,  and  for  this  purpose  the  latter  teeth  are  situated 
considerably  within  the  line  of  the  other  molars.  The  last  tuberculous  tooth  of  the 
upper  jaw  fits  into  the  depression  of  its  lower  analogue,  and  the  first,  as  has  been 
already  observed,  into  the  depression  which  separates  the  tuberculous  heel  of  the  lower 
carnassier  from  the  anterior  lobes.  The  skull  from  which  this  description  was  taken 
being  that  of  a  very  old  animal,  the  sharp  trenchant  edges  of  the  teeth  were  completely 
worn  away,  leaving  the  lobes  universally  of  a  blunt,  tuberculous  form,  and  often  ren- 
dering it  a  matter  of  some  difficulty  to  trace  their  original  characters. 
This  system  of  dentition  is,  in  most  respects,  extremely  similar  to  that  which  is 
common  to  the  Viverrce  in  general,  and  particularly  to  the  genus  Herpestes,  from  which 
the  Cynictis  differs  principally  in  the  absence  of  the  rudimentary  false  molar  of  the 
lower  jaw,  in  having  that  of  the  upper  jaw  in  contact  with  the  canine,  and  in  a  few 
other  circumstances  of  very  minor  importance  when  compared  with  the  general  cha- 
racters of  the  organization.  From  the  Ryzcena  or  Suricate,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
dental  system  of  the  Cynictis  differs  in  the  presence  of  the  superior  rudimentary  false 
molar,  being  thus  directly  intermediate,  in  point  of  dentition,  between  this  genus  and 
the  Herpestes ;  and  it  is  not  a  little  singular  that  it  should  bear  precisely  the  same  re- 
lation to  both  these  genera  in  the  form  and  number  of  its  toes.  The  Herpestes  have 
rudimentary  false  molars  both  in  the  upper  and  under  jaws,  and  five  toes  both  before 
and  behind ;  the  Cynictis  has  rudimentary  false  molars  only  in  the  upper  jaw,  five  toes 
on  the  fore,  and  only  four  on  the  hind  feet ;  the  Ryzcena  has  no  rudimentary  false  molars 
in  either  jaw,  and  four  toes  only,  as  well  on  the  anterior  as  on  the  posterior  extremities. 
These  traits  of  zoological  character  strongly  point  out  the  true  natural  relations  of  all 
these  animals,  and  demonstrate  the  relative  positions  which  they  occupy  in  the  system 
of  nature.  With  the  single  exception  of  the  Proteles,  there  is  no  other  known  genus 
of  the  Viverra  family  which  possesses  the  same  number  of  toes  and  complete  digitigrade 
extremities  which  form  so  prominent  a  character  in  the  Cynictis.  Here,  however,  all 
analogy  ceases  between  these  two  genera.  It  is  true  that  we  are  at  present  ignorant  of 
the  adult  characters  of  the  dentition  of  the  Proteles  ;  when  we  become  better  acquainted 
with  this  important  part  of  its  organization,  we  may  perhaps  discover  additional  points 
of  relation  between  it  and  the  present  genus ;  but  in  all  its  most  striking  external  cha- 
racters it  is  completely  different,  and  seems  to  occupy  an  intermediate  station  between 
the  Dogs,  the  Civets,  and  the  Hyanas. 
