490 ZOOLOGY. 



in size than tlie preceding. Towards the north, beyond the Arctic Circle, 

 the blue fox ( V. lagopus) is met with, as well as in Norway and Siberia. 



Fam. 4. HyjenidjE. Sometimes united with Viverridge by systeriiatic 

 writers, but differing from them, being generally larger ; their fore limbs 

 are longer than the hind ones, making the posterior part of the body stand 

 lower than the anterior, and giving to the back a regular inclination from 

 the head towards the tail. The head is more or less pointed, somewhat 

 intermediate in form between the Felidse and Viverridse. They inhabit 

 caverns, and are the most ferocious of all Carnivora, although not the 

 largest. They feed on living animals or on carrica|fcand often dig up dead 

 bodies from their graves. This family is compl^rely excluded from the 

 New World. 



The Hyasnidae seem to have played an important part, as shown in the 

 bon^ caverns of Europe, during the tertiary epoch. Several species of the 

 genus Hyaena are described, and show in their distribution a wider geogra- 

 phical range than in our days. Two extinct genera {Smilodon and Amyxo- 

 don) exhibit peculiarities which no species of the actual creation presents. 



The genus Smilodon is peculiar to Brazil, in the caverns of which country 

 the remains were found. It is distinguished from the genus Hyaena by the 

 canines, which are much compressed, nearly lancet shaped. In size and 

 osteological structure they come near the hyena. 



The genus Amyxodon is Asiatic, and was discovered about the Sivalic 

 Mountains. 



The genus Proteles is a South African species, the earth wolf of the 

 colonists of the Cape of Good Hope. The body resembles that of Hyaena, 

 the head that of civets, .being a little more pointed than usual in Hysena 

 proper. There are five toes to the fore feet, and four to the hind ones. 

 The canines are of considerable size. The animal is very destructive to the 

 young lambs, and is said to attack the massive fatty protuberance of the 

 African sheep. 



The genus Hycena has only four toes to each foot. The teeth are enor- 

 mously strong, and peculiarly adapted for grinding the hardest bones. The 

 jaws and muscles by wdiich the latter move are also indicative of the great- 

 est strength. The species of this genus are all natives of the warm latitudes 

 of the old world, but excluded from Europe. The striped hyena, H. vul- 

 garis or striata {pi. 114, fig. 6), is found from India to Abyssinia and 

 Senegal. Two other species, the brown and spotted hyena, inhabit the 

 Cape of Good Hope. 



Fam. 5. Felid^:, The head is short proportionally to its length, rounded, 

 and the snout itself short and obtuse. The limbs moderately long and 

 equal sized. The claws are retractile ; the habits nocturnal. 



We quote the following paragraph from Swainson's Natural History of 

 Quadrupeds : 



"The Felidae constitute the most formidable race of quadrupeds now 



existing on the earth, the most bloodthirsty in their habits, and the most 



dreaded by mankind. Th'eir whole structure is evidently formed to effect 



destruction of the most fearful description. Enormous muscular strength, 



694 



