closed by bone. The Suricate lives in caves and rock crevices, and will dig burrows. It is distinctly a diurnal animal, and sits upon its hind-legs after the fashion of a Marmot. As Buffon noticed in a tame specimen (thought by him to be a native of Surinam), the animal barks like a dog. The Suricate is largely vegetarian, living upon roots.
Fig. 203.—Suricate. Suricata tetradactyla. × ¼.
Fam. 4. Hyaenidae.—Unlike though the Hyaenas appear to be to the last family—mainly perhaps on account of size—they are, nevertheless, very nearly akin to them, more so than to the Cat tribe. It will be remembered that the striping and spotting of the Hyaenas is very Genet- and Suricate-like.
There are admittedly two genera among the Hyaenidae, Hyaena itself with three species,[1] and the Aard Wolf, Proteles, with but one. But Dr. Mivart considers that the Spotted Hyaena should form a genus apart, Crocuta—a proceeding which was initiated by the late Dr. Gray of the British Museum. The Hyaenidae are to be distinguished by the following characters:—There are generally four toes, always so in the hind-foot. The claws are non-retractile. The nose and upper lip are grooved. The molar formula is Pm 4/3 M 1/1. The soles of the feet are covered with hairs upon the tarsus and metatarsus. No scent glands. Tail short. Dorsal vertebrae more numerous than in other Aeluroids, i.e. fifteen. The bulla is divided by a rudimentary septum only.
- ↑ For the anatomy of Hyaenas see Morrison Watson in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1877, p. 369; 1878, p. 416; and 1879, p. 79.
