CHAP, ix.] TEETH: CANID^E. 



241. C. (Nyctereutes) procyonoides : p l absent on both sides with- 

 out trace in B. M., 186, e; and absent on right side in B. M., 186, d. 

 On the contrary B. M. 186 a and b and C. S. M., 672, are normal. 



The following cases of absent premolars were doubtful : C. dingo : ri^ht P^ and 

 left yT 1 - C. S. M. C. antarcticus: p l above and below on left side. C. S. M., tl.'i".. 



B. DOMESTIC DOGS. 



242. From the nature of the case it is not often possible to say with con- 

 fidence that p l has not been present in a given skull, but from the 

 material examined this variation appears to be rather rare. In 216 

 skulls, excepting those of Esquimaux dogs, I only saw two clear cases 

 in which the bones were smooth, without trace of alveolus, viz. 

 "Danish" Dog: ]T l absent on both sides, O. M., 1786. Terrier: 

 y absent on both sides. C. S. M., 579. Many others doubtful. 



According to HEXSEL, however, absence of />' is common, and he 

 states that in 345 skulls the following occurred : 



P^ absent on both sides 5 cases, 



do. one 4 



p~ l ,, both frequently, 



do. ,, ,, one 9 cases, 



p l absent 011 both sides and p l on one side, 1 case. 



Morpk. Jahrb., 1879, p. 546. [This is of course a far higher frequency 

 than was found by me, but perhaps discrepancy arises from difference 

 in reckoning the evidence of absence.] 



Two doubtful cases of absence of were seen in Dos. 





*243. Esquimaux Dogs : absence of/) 1 quite common, the following 

 skulls being all of the breed that I have seen. 



Noi'mals, with^>~, only two specimens. Specimens with no//, above 

 or below, the canines in such cases standing close to p~, three cases, 

 viz. B. M. 58. 5. 4. 96; B. M., 166, a; G. S. M., 542. ^ absent on left 

 side and p on both sides, C. M., 1000, c. pi absent both sides and pi 

 absent on left side, L. M. ^ and ^ both absent from right side; left 

 normal, O. M., 1789. yT 1 absent on left side, B. M., 166, r, 3. J7 1 

 absent on right side, B. M., 166, t, 2. 



The partial establishment of a character of this kind in a 

 breed, which, if selected at all, has been selected for very different 

 qualities, is rather interesting. It need scarcely be remarked 

 that the partial loss of this tooth cannot in the Esquimaux dog 

 have occurred in connexion with an enfeebled habit of life, as 

 might perhaps be supposed by some in the case of the edentulous 

 lap-dogs. 



As will be shewn in the next section, absence of the front 

 premolars is a common character in the dogs of the ancient Incas, 

 but in them the posterior molars are also frequently absent. 

 There is no special reason for supposing that the Esquimaux 

 dogs came originally from America, but it may be worth recalling 

 as a suggestion, that according to anthropologists the relations 



