FOSSIL CARNIVORES, MARSUPIALS AND SMALL 
MAMMALS 
IN THE 
AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.: 
By W. D. MattHew, Pu.D. 
Associate Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontology. 
I. CARNIVORA. 
THE Carnivora live principally on the flesh of other animals 
and have teeth and claws adapted to such food. Most of them, 
however, eke out their proper food, in times of scarcity, or for 
mere variety, with berries, nuts, bulbs and roots or even with 
grass, and some, at certain seasons, find little else available. 
Carnivores have large canine teeth adapted for cutting or for cut- 
ting and chewing, but never for grinding. All of them have 
claws, and they use their feet in a more varied way than do 
the Herbivora, for seizing and striking as well as for running and 
jumping. They walk either upon the entire sole of the foot 
(bears) or upon the under surface of the toes (dogs, cats etc.), 
never upon the tips of the toes as do the hoofed animals 
There are three divisions: 
A, CREODONTA, OR PRIMITIVE CARNIVORA. Extinct 
land Carnivora with various primitive characters. None 
now extant. 
B, FISSIPEDIA, OR TRUE CARNIVORA. Toes separate; ter- 
restrial or amphibious; preying on land animals. Mod- 
ern beasts of prey. 
C, PINNIPEDIA, OR MARINE CARNIVORA. Web-footed, 
marine, fish-eating. Seals and Walruses. 
Fossil land Carnivora are more numerous and varied than 
modern kinds. More than 250 fossil species have been described 
from the United States alone, while but 94 living species are 
recognized in this country. The majority of the fossil species 
‘This article forms No. 17 of the Museum series of GuiDE LEAFLETS and may 
be obtained in separate form. 
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