2 4 LIFE OF FLOWER 



have been expected from distributional considerations, 

 turned out to belong to the raccoon family (Procpnides). 

 As regards the relationship of the three main groups, 

 subsequent palaeontological discoveries have fully con- 

 firmed Flower's view that the Canidte (Cynoidea) occupy 

 a central, or perhaps rather a basal, position. Palaeon- 

 tology has, however, also shown that the bears ( Uru&e) 

 are a direct offshoot from the Canlda, and accordingly 

 that, if extinct forms be taken into consideration, there 

 is no justification for the separation of the two families 

 into distinct primary groups (Arctoidea and Cynoidea). 

 On the other hand, fossil forms from the Lower 

 Tertiaries of France and of North America seem to de- 

 monstrate the existence of a complete gradation between 

 the primitive dogs (Canida) and the ancestral civets 

 (Piverridx), thus breaking up the distinction between 

 the Cynoidea and the -&luroidea. Nor is this all, for 

 according to the French palaeontologists, there exists a 

 transition between the primitive civets and the early 

 weasels (Musttbd*) ; which, with what has been already 

 stated in connection with the bears, indicates that the 

 Arctoidea is a more or less artificial group, the members 

 of which have come to resemble one another to a 

 certain degree in regard to the .characters of the base 

 of the skull, owing to " parallelism." In this connection 

 it is somewhat curious to note that a certain resem- 

 blance, which had been pointed out by Turner as exist- 

 ing between the mongooses or ichneumons (Viverrida) 

 and the weasels, was regarded by Flower as of no 

 importance. Finally, it is by no means improbable that 

 the cats (Felldai] have no near kinship with the civets, but 

 may be directly sprung from more primitive Carnivora. 



