A handbook to the carnivora. Pt. I, Cats, civets, and mongooses / by Richard Lydekker.

  • Lydekker, Richard, 1849-1915.
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A handbook to the carnivora. Pt. I, Cats, civets, and mongooses / by Richard Lydekker. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    367/392 (page 291)
    II. FAMILY VIVERRIDFE (supra, p. 206). I. GENUS VIVERRA {suprh, p. 210). Paiaomephitis, Jager, Foss. Saugeth. Wiirtt. p. 78 (1835); Fraas, Fauna Steinheim, p. 9 (1870). In the Pleistocene cavern-deposits of Madras, this genus is represented by V. karnuliensis, a species about the size of the existing V zibetha, but distinguished by the more elongated form of the pre-molar teeth, in which respect it agrees with the following species, and approximates to the under-mentioned Ictitherium. V. bakeri and V. durandi are considerably larger species from the Pliocene rocks of the Siwalik Hills in North- western India. The Pliocene of Perpignan, in France, has yielded remains of another species known as V. pepraxti, while in the Middle Miocene of France and Styria we have respectively V sansaniensis and V. steinhebnensis ; and in the Lower Miocene of the former country V. leptorhyncha. Civets likewise occur in the Upper Eocene (Oligocene) deposits of France and Hampshire; and have been described as V. minima, V. angustidens, V simplicidens, and V. hastingsice. The latter, which was of the approximate size of the large Indian Civet, appears to be common to England and France, and is charac- terised by the crowns of the teeth being much taller than in the existing representatives of the genus. II. GENUS AMPIIICTIS. Amphictis, Pomel, Cat. Method., p. 63 (1853). This genus, as represented by A. antiqua and A. lepiorhyncha, from the Lower Miocene and Upper Eocene of France, is nearly allied to the last, from which it may be distinguished by the more elongated form of the last lower molar, which is implanted in the jaw by two distinct roots, and has relatively taller cusps, and a larger posterior heel. u 2