BEARS AND THEIR ALLIES. 



615 



being connected ; the wrist and foot only projecting beyond 

 the ekin of the body, and there are no external ears, or only 

 small ones. 



The walrus (Fig. 534), the seals, and the eared seals or 

 sea-lions ( Otariidce) 

 are the types of the 

 aquatic Carnivores ; 

 the sea-lions can walk 

 on all fours, and in 

 certain peculiarities of 

 the skull they resem- 

 ble the bears. ^ 



Of the terrestrial, * 

 normal Carnivora, the 

 raccoon, coati, Cerco- jjs 

 leptes, and bear, to- | 

 gether with a number | 

 of extinct forms, are ~ 

 the more generalized 

 or lower types. They 

 are plantigrade, and 

 while standing at the 

 base of the carnivorous 

 series, have some fea- 

 tures suggesting and 

 anticipating those of 

 the lemurs, and mon- 

 keys. The raccoon, 

 Procyon lotor (Linn.), 

 abounds throughout 

 the United States. Al- 

 lied to it is the coati 

 (Nasua) of Central 

 America, a creature 

 about the size of, and 

 with the general hab- 

 its of the raccoon, being an exceedingly knowing and mis- 

 chievous animal. A number of extinct Eocene mammals 

 are also allied to a small plantigrade, long-tailed carnivore, 

 Cercolcptes, which resembles the Primates in its two cutting 



