GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. 



135 



ing hue is a dull gray, which may pass over 

 into yellow, brown, or red. 



The dentition offers little variety. In the 

 majority of the Canida the incisors are narrow 

 and sharp. The upper ones often show a 

 median cusp, with two side cusps, separated by 

 not very deep incisions, while the lower ones 

 have only a notch in the middle. The can- 

 ines are seldom very strong, but often curved, 

 slender, and flattened at the sides. Both 

 above and below there are four premolars in 

 the milk dentition, and the last of these in 

 the upper jaw is the carnassial tooth. The 

 others both above and below increase in size 

 from before backwards. They are all single- 

 cusped. The upper carnassial has a large 

 oblique cusp in the middle, the lower is two- 

 lobed. The tubercled teeth diminish in size 

 from before backwards; the first is always 

 very large and mostly quadrangular in form. 

 The general formula is Milk dentition 



V i ' 4 i v i ' 4 ' 2 



- = 32; permanent dentition ^- 



3'i'4 3-I-4-3 



= 42. Exceptions are met with only as re- 

 gards the number of the true molars or tuber- 

 cled teeth. Some wild dogs belonging to 

 India, which have been formed into the genus 

 Cyon, have only two molars in the lower jaw, 

 accordingly only 40 teeth in all, while a re- 

 markable South African dog with large ears, 

 Otocyon caffer, has always four tubercled teeth 

 below and three or four above, which brings 

 the total number of its teeth up to 46 or even 

 48, a number which exceeds that of almost 

 all other placental mammals. 



Essentially carnivorous in their diet the 

 Canida are in general not so bloodthirsty as 

 the cats (Felida) or martens (Mustelida). 

 Many of them not only do not despise carrion, 

 but even show a decided fondness for it, and 

 prefer tainted game to fresh meat. In a 

 domesticated state they can certainly easily 

 be accustomed to any kind of diet, but with 

 the exception of certain species most of the 

 wild Canida abstain from vegetable food, and 

 their strong tubercled teeth serve rather to 



masticate flesh and crush bones. Yet there 

 are some few species which manifest a de- 

 cided preference for a vegetable diet. 



All the Canida chase living prey, the great 

 majority of them by night, but some also by 

 day. While resting they remain in clefts in 

 the rocks and other holes and corners. Some 

 excavate underground recesses with passages 

 leading to them. They hunt most frequently 

 in troops, often very numerous ones, seldom 

 singly or in pairs, and they know how to con- 

 cert plans of attack so as to cut off the re- 

 treat of their destined prey. Their extra- 

 ordinarily keen scent is what guides them 

 and furnishes them with their chief notions 

 about the objects around them. The sense 

 of hearing is only of secondary importance, 

 and is most highly developed in those species 

 which live in great deserts. The sight is 

 only a slightly developed subsidiary sense. 

 In order to gain an accurate knowledge of 

 any object the dog must sniff it all round. 

 Its memory is based on its smell. 



I am speaking here only of wild dogs. 

 With few exceptions they are all cowardly 

 beasts, which never, even when urged by 

 hunger, attack singly animals with which they 

 might have to wage any serious battle. But 

 in these cases they assemble in troops, to 

 break the resistance, and when once their 

 prey has been overpowered by their united 

 strength, they show their cruelty and fero- 

 city even in devouring those of their own 

 kind which may have been wounded in the 

 struggle. 



Wild Canida do not bark, but howl. 

 Scarcely any sounds uttered by animals are 

 more unpleasant to hear. The howling- 

 monkeys alone can rival wolves or jackals 

 in the diabolical music which they create. 



The glands of the skin are very highly de- 

 veloped, and besides the numerous sebaceous 

 or fat-secreting glands which are found every- 

 where, the Canida have either a single large 

 gland at the root of the tail (like the fox) or 

 several smaller scent-glands. All the Canida 



