1889.] natural sciences of philadelphia. 231 



Measurements. 



M. 



Femur, length, -190 



Femur, breadth, proximal end (head and great trochanter), '038 



Femur, breadth, distal end (greatest width of condyles), "034 



Tibia, length (including malleolus), "168 



Tibia, breadth, proximal end, - 034 



Tibia, breadth, distal end, -020 



Calcaneum, length, "043 



Astragalus, length, . '027 



Metatarsal I, breadth, proximal end, "006 



Metatarsal II, length, "046 



Metatarsal II, breadth, proximal end, '006 



Metatarsal III, length (?), -051 



Metatarsal III, breadth, proximal end, . - 012 



Metatarsal IV, length, -053 



Metatarsal IV, breadth, proximal end, "006 



Metatarsal V, length, '0485 



Metatarsal V, breadth, proximal end, - 008 



First phalanx, fourth digit, length, "022 



Second phalanx, fourth digit, length, "017 



Third phalanx, fourth digit, length, "015 



The Systematic Position of Dinictis. 



Before any systematic arrangement of the Carnivora can be ac- 

 cepted as final, it will be necessary to show the steps by which the 

 various groups have diverged from the common stock. We are as 

 yet by no means in a position to do this, and hence any classifica- 

 tion of them at present can only be tentative. However, recent in- 

 vestigations throw some light upon the problem. It is obvious, in 

 the first place, that the retention of primitive characters in any two 

 groups of a series is no proof of any relationship nearer than that 

 through the common ancestor of the entire series. Thus the presence 

 of the alisphenoid canal, or the epicondylar foramen, cannot be em- 

 ployed as an indication of direct connection between two groups 

 otherwise differing. Secondly, the loss of characters present in the 

 ancestral form is no better indication of affinity, since we have 

 abundant evidence that these suppressions take place independently. 

 Examples of this are the reduction in the number of the teeth and 

 digits, loss of the alisphenoid canal, the loss of the septum in the 

 auditory bulla in the hyenas and mustelines, which no one supposes 



