30 
MR.  W.  OGILBY'S  DESCRIPTION  OF  CYNICTIS, 
five  toes  on  the  fore  feet,  and  four  only  on  the  hind,  a  combination  not  found  in  any 
other  genus  of  the  Viverra  family  except  the  Proteles.  The  thumb,  or  inner  toe  of  the 
fore  feet,  is  placed  considerably  above  the  line  of  the  other  toes,  as  in  the  Dogs  and 
other  completely  Bigitigrade  Quadrupeds,  and  does  not  touch  the  ground  when  the 
animal  stands  or  walks  ;  the  hind  heel  is  very  much  elevated,  and,  as  well  as  the  meta- 
tarsus, completely  covered  with  hair,  the  under  part  of  the  toes  alone  being  naked  and 
of  a  black  colour.  This  part  of  the  foot  is  divided  into  separate  little  pads  or  tubercles  ; 
and  there  is  a  large  one  on  the  inner  surface  of  the  fore  feet,  considerably  above  the 
others,  which  does  not  come  in  contact  with  the  ground  in  ordinary  progression,  bu^ 
which,  from  its  elastic  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  moderately  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 
admirably  to  the  purpose  of  burrowing  beneath  the  soil.  In  their  entire  form  and 
structure,  the  organs  of  locomotion  are  thus  in  most  respects  perfectly  similar  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  analogous  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  ap- 
proximates to  the  Civets,  and  by  which  its  situation  in  the  system  of  nature  is  deter- 
mined to  be  in  contiguity  with  that  family.  The  following  formula  expresses  the  number 
and  arrangement  of  the  teeth  according  to  the  plan  followed  by  M.  F.  Cuvier  in  '  Les 
Dents  des  Mammiferes.' 
{6  Incisors. 
2  Canines.  T  6  False. 
12  Molars   <  2  Carnassiers. 
oo  xccLu..  -|  |-  g  Jncisors.  |^ 4  Tuberculous. 
L  18  Inferior  <    2  Canines.  f  6  False. 
10  Molars   <  2  Carnassiers. 
L2  Tuberculous. 
The  incisors  present  nothing  remarkable.  They  are  small,  equal,  and  arranged  in  a  re- 
gular straight  line  ;  those  of  the  under  jaw  are  in  contact  with  the  corresponding  canine, 
those  of  the  upper  separated  from  it  by  a  vacant  space,  which,  in  the  reciprocal  position 
of  the  jaws,  is  occupied  by  the  lower  canine.  The  canines  themselves  are  sensibly  flat- 
tened on  the  sides,  with  an  obscure  cutting  edge  behind ;  those  of  the  upper  jaw  are 
nearly  straight,  those  of  the  lower  slightly  hooked  backwards.  The  first  false  molar  of 
the  upper  jaw  is  very  minute,  and  in  contact  both  with  the  canine  and  with  the  fol- 
lowing false  molar :  it  is  a  simple,  irregularly  conical  rudiment,  with  a  single  root. 
The  second  is  also  of  a  conical  form,  with  a  large  pointed  lobe  in  the  centre,  and  a  small 
rudimentary  lobe  on  each  side  of  it :  the  third  is  about  the  same  size  as  the  second,  and 
in  all  respects  similar,  excepting  that  it  has  a  large  additional  lobe  on  its  inner  surface, 
