142 Mammals of Eastern Asia 
sight and hearing possessed by these Gibbons keep them rela- 
tively safe. The food consists of leaves, insects, eggs, birds, and 
especially spiders. 
THE FLESH-EATERS (ORDER CARNIVORA) 
Most of the members of this order have keen senses of sight, 
smell, and hearing. They show adaptations for the two inter- 
related functions, catching and killing living prey, and eating 
meat. To accomplish the first, the carnivores have usually strong 
claws and heavy canine teeth, combined with great agility, 
strength, and endurance. To carve up the bodies of their victims 
they are equipped with powerful jaws and a combination of 
shearing and crushing teeth that can slice through tendons and 
break bones. 
This basic equipment of the carnivores, though widely preva- 
lent, is not always retained. In a few instances secondary 
changes suited to a mixed or even vegetarian or insect diet are 
seen. The Bears, which live largely upon fish, grubs, and berries, 
are no longer very agile ; their claws though enormous are not 
sharp; their cheek teeth have been converted almost wholly to 
crushing organs. To some extent the Badgers have pursued a 
similar course. The Hyaenas have given up the aggressive pursuit 
of live prey and have become carrion-eaters. In conformity with 
this way of life, their molar teeth and jaws and even their heads 
have been enlarged, enabling them to crush the big bones of 
dead animals much larger than themselves. The Aard-wolf of 
South Africa, a relative of the Hyaenas, has taken a different 
course and become addicted to digging out and eating termites 
or white ants, with an occasional supplement of other insects, 
lizards, or carrion. The teeth of these animals have become the 
merest travesties of the characteristic carnivore teeth. 
Another curious fact about the teeth of the carnivores is the 
identity of the two great shearing cheek teeth used to cut 
