1899-] Wortman and Matthe^v, Ancestry of the Canidce, etc. I 29 



portant character than their form, and unless certain characters 

 are arbitrarily selected as generic, the representation of natural 

 groups is the only valid foundation for generic distinctness. As 

 a mere matter of convenience, the groups are here used as genera, 

 with the proviso that they are not all of generic value. Phlaocyon 

 stands widely apart from the rest, as does also Oligobunis ; but 

 whether two, three, or several genera are made out of the remain- 

 ing species is a matter of arbitrary selection rather than natural 

 grouping. 



I. Procyonid^. 

 Skull short and wide, orbits well forward ; carnassial teeth imperfectly or 

 not sectorial ; a hypocone on p-. Pentadactyl, plantigrade. Dentition typi- 



cally 3-^->-^ 

 3-1-4-2 



A. Third lower molar absent, second elongated. Modern genera ^ajjar/j- 

 4US, Procyon, Bassaricyon, Nasua, Cercoleptes. 



B. Third lower molar present, second not elongated. 



Phlaocyon. Dentition — 



3-1-4-3 



II. Canid^e. 



Becoming tetradactyl, digitigrade. Skull long, orbits not advanced, teeth 

 sectorial and tubercular. 



A. Short-footed, pentadactyl, with shear of sectorial partly transverse, small 

 brain and other primitive characters. 



Dental formula 



3-1-4-3 



3-1-4-3 



a. DaphcEnus Leidy. Upper molars transversely unsymmetrical (paracone 

 more external than metacone). M- oval, aligned with inner cusps of anterior 

 molars. Heels of lower molars low-ridged, with low entoconid crest, mj a 

 convex nub. 



D. vcius Leidy. Amer. Mus., Nos. 1388, 1390. 

 D. hartshornianus (Coy>q). Amer. Mus., Nos. 6811, 1387. 

 Z>. felina Scott. 

 D. doiigei Scott. 

 The first three species are from the Oreodon beds, the last from the Titan- 

 otherium beds. 



b. Paradap/nrnus, gen. nov. Upper molars much extended and symmetrical 

 transversely ; m^ aligned with outer cusps of anterior molars. Heels of lower 

 molars wide and deep, basin-shaped ; m^ and m^ with two anterior cusps and 

 basin-heel. 



P. cuspigerus (Cope). Nos. 6852 (type), and probably^ 6853 (type of 

 Amphicyon eiitoptychi Cope). 



P. transversus, n. sp. 

 \_yune, i8gg\ 9 



