PINN1PEDIA. 755 



character. Outside the Marsupials it is only known else- 

 where in the Madagascar tailless hedgehog (Centetes], where 

 there are sometimes four upper molars. In the dog the 



dental formula is \ ; the upper carnassial or fourth pre- 



molar has a stout bilobed blade, the low r er carnassial or first 

 molar has a compressed bilobed blade. The skull is more 

 elongated than in the cats ; the orbits are very widely open 

 posteriorly ; the clavicles are very small ; the limbs are 

 digitigrade ; there are five toes on the fore-feet, but the short 

 thumb does not reach the ground ; there are only four toes 

 on the hind-feet, but in domestic dogs the rudiment of the 

 hallux is sometimes enlarged as the "dew-claw"; the claws 

 are non-retractile and blunt. 



(3) ARCTOIDEA Bear-like Carnivores. 



The tympanic bulla shows no trace of an internal septum ; the 

 paroccipital process of the exoccipital is quite apart from the 

 bulla, and widely separated from the mastoid process of 

 the periotic. The limbs are plantigrade or sub-plantigrade, 

 and always bear five toes. There is no cascum. 



family Ursidee Bears. The molars have broad tuberculated crowns 

 used for grinding. The three anterior premolars are usually 

 rudimentary. The auditory bulla is depressed. In relation to 

 the character of the teeth, it should be noted that the diet is at 

 least in part vegetarian ; even the polar bear eats herbs in the 



summer. Ursiis. ^Mf absent from Ethiopian and Australian 



3143. 

 regions, represented in the Neotropical region by only one 



species, elsewhere widespread. 

 Family Procyonidce The Himalayan Panda (.-Elitrus fn/gt'iis], the 



American raccoon (Procyon). The true molars are 2 . 



Family Mustelidix: The otter (Lnfra), the sea-otter (Latax hitris], 

 the skunk (Mephitis), the badger (Mt'lcs), the ratel (Afellivora), 

 the marten, sable, polecat, stoat, weasel (Ahtstela}. The true 



molars are -- or - 1 . 



2 I 



CREODONTA (extinct). 



In Focene and early Miocene strata, in Furope and America, there 

 are remains of what seem to be generalised Carnivora, ancestral to the 

 modern types, and apparently related to Insectivora as well. Those 

 included in the sub-order Creodonta have strong canines but no single 

 carnassials, while the molars are often like those of Marsupials. The 

 brain seems to have been small. 



Examples. Hy^nodou, Provide rra, Arcfocyon. 



Order PINXIPEDIA. Seals, Eared Seals, and Walruses. 



Marine Carnivores, unable to move readily on land, but coming 

 ashore for breeding purposes. They feed for the most part on fish, 



