GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 551 



essentials. The rotnlar groove is narrow and elevated, the inner margin 

 a little higher. The condyles are rather narrow, the inner with less 

 transverse and anteroposterior extent, and separated by a wide and 

 deep fossa. The patella is narrow, thick, and truncate at one end. The 

 proximal end of the tibia exhibits a very prominent and well elevated 

 crest or spine, which bounds a deeply excavated fossa. The articu- 

 lar faces are separated by a deep notch behind ; the external is a 

 little the larger and is produced into a point outwards and backwards; 

 it lacks the notch of the antero-exterior margin so distinct in Canis, but 

 possesses an emargination at the outer base of the crest homologous 

 with it. The general form is, however, more like that of Canis than of 

 FeliSj and least like that of tfrsus. The distal extremity of the tibia 

 presents Carnivorous characters. The two trochlear fossoi are deeply 

 impressed, the outer wall of the external one being formed by the fibula 

 only. The anterior marginal crest is more elevated than the posterior, 

 and presents an overlapping articular face bet^>^een the fossae for a cor- 

 responding tuberosity of the neck of the astragalus. The inner malleolus 

 is entirely without the groove for the tendon of the tibialis posticus 

 muscle, and therefore different from many of the digitigrade Carnivora. 

 It has an ovate truncate surface. On the anterior face opposite the 

 inner trochlear groove is a rather small but deep fossa. 



The astrai/alus has an elongate oblique neck and a navicular extremity 

 slightly expanded inwards. The trochlear ridges are well elevated, and 

 not very oblique to the true vertical plane, being much as in the dog. 

 The distal extremity is quite different from Felis, Ryama, Canis, and 

 Ursus in having a rather narrow convex facet next the cuboid bone ex- 

 tending- from front to rear, and in having the navicular facet pulley-like 

 or sligltly concave in tranverse section, while it is strongly convex 

 antero-tosteriorly. This is part of the peculiarity presented by the 

 hind foot in this genus. Behind the navicular facet, on the superior 

 face, is a tuberosity which stops the flexure of the foot by contact with 

 the tibia; a trace of it is seen in the dog. The calcaneum has the com- 

 pressed :brm of the digitigrades, but the broader interval, and convex 

 external astragaline facets resemble much more those in the bears. The 

 cuboid facet is a frustum of a triangle with the apex directed inwards 

 and dowuvards. 



The meapodial bones are rather elongate, and flattened so as to be 

 transverse in position. A second metatarsal is more flattened than 

 corresponcing bones of Canis and Felis. Its cuneiform facet is some- 

 what concive transversely. The phalangeal condyles are furnished with 

 an anterior and inferior carina, which is wanting above ; the articular 

 face is v^ide above as in Canis, and is bounded by a transverse fossa as 

 in di(:itigTade genera. The phalanges of the first series are elongate 

 and (urved as in Felis, being relatively longer than in Ursns. Phalanges 

 of tie others series are quite short. The ungues are short and flattened, 

 thei' inferior surface is nearly plane, and the superior but little convex. 

 A shallow groove divides the upper face longitudinally to the ex- 

 trenity. The margin below is acute to a slightly contracted neck. 

 Ttere is no indication of collar for reception of the horny sheath, except 

 pe.'haps a slight area of fracture on each side, and there is no projecting 

 tioerosity below for insertion of flexor tendon. The middle of the 

 poximal part of the unguis is -a raised ])lanej and on each side of it, 

 Pj the neck, two arterial foramina enter. There is a small foramen in the 

 /roove, and several smaller ones near the margin. These ungues re- 

 emble somewhat those of son)e tortoises. Tbey were found with the 

 >ther phalanges, with which they agree in size and articulation, and no 



