CARNIVORA. 



CAUPINUS. 



788 



Others again walk on the tips of the toes, as it were, and these, the 

 Digitigrada, are endowed with great swiftness of foot. The clavicle 

 in both is merely a bony rudiment suspended in the flesh. 



Cuvier divides his Carnirora into the four following tribes : 



1. Plantigrade!. 



These possess a great facility, from the structure of the sole, of 

 rearing themselves up on the 

 hind feet. Cuvier observes that 

 they participate in the compa- 

 rative slow motion and noc- 

 turnal life of the Insectii!ora,&nd 

 that they are like them deprived 

 of a cajcum. The greater part 

 of those whose geographical dis- 

 tribution is confined to cold 

 countries pass the winter in a g^n of Common Badger (Mela wlgaru.) 

 dormant state. They have all 



five toes on each foot. [BEAR; BADGER.] The annexed cut will 

 : as an example of the dental form and arrangement. 



2. Diyitigradei. 



This tribe is separated by Cuvier into two subdivisions : 

 Subdivision a. 



The animals composing this subdivision have been called Vermiform, 

 from the comparatively great length and flexibility of their bodies 

 and the shortness of their legs. Every one who has watched the 

 serpentine movements of a ferret 

 must have been struck with the 

 great facility of motion given by 

 this form, and its particular adapta- 

 tion for passing through small 

 openings and narrow burrows, and 

 turning therein. Like the former 

 families they have no caecum, but 

 unlike them they are not lethargic 

 winter. Though small they 



Skull of Polecat (Putoritu Zorilla). 



are of indomitable courage and ferocity, and literally most blood- 

 thirsty, for the greater part of them live principally upon that fluid. 

 The annexed cut will give an example of the general form of the 

 skull and teeth. 



Subdivision b. 



These have two flat tuberculated molars behind the upper great 

 flesh-cutter, which has itself a sufficiently large heel or process. Many 

 of these live upon carrion, and all have a small caecum. [CASIS.] 



We refer to the next cut for a general idea of the dental system. 



Skull of Common Fox ( rulptt ru/;<iru). 



8. Colt (Pelidcf). 



In this tribe we have the destructive power most highly developed. 

 The short round muzzle, the abbreviated and powerful jaw, and the 

 retractile claws sheathed by means of elastic ligaments when the 

 animal is in a state of repose, so that they are kept sharp and ready 

 for action, form with the rest of the organisation a destructive type of 

 the highest order. All the Cats have two false molars above and two 

 below ; their upper flesh-cutter has three lobes and a blunt heel or 

 process within ; while the lower one has two pointed and cutting 

 lobes, but without any heel or process ; and they have but one small 

 tuberculnted molar above without any corresponding tooth below. 

 The species are numerous, and vary greatly in size and colour. [FELIS.] 

 Subjoined is a cut of the skull and jaw of a Royal Tiger. 



tion of their life is spent. The moment the Seal enters the water he 

 is completely at his ease. Then the oar-like membranous hands and 

 feet, or flippers, as some of our northern navigators not unaptly term 

 them, the elongated body and moveable spine with its powerful mus- 

 cular machinery, the narrow pelvis, and the close waterproof fur, 

 afford, when taken together, a model for swimming. The annexed 

 cut of the skull of a Common Seal will illustrate the general form and 

 arrangement of the teeth. [SEALS.] 



Skull of Royal Tiger (Felii Tiyrit). a. Teeth of upper jaw. 



4. Amphibia, or Amphibious Carnivora. 



Those who have seen a seal on the land will have noticed the com- 

 parative helplessness of the animal ; for the short limbs enveloped in 

 the skin only serve them by assisting their awkward shufflings when 

 in that situation. But as they never come on the laud excepting for 

 the purposes of repose, basking in the sun, or suckling their young, 

 their organisation is adapted to that element in which the great por- 



KAT. HUT. DIV. VOL. I. 



Skull of Common Seal (Calocephatus vitulintu). 



Fossil Carnivora. 



Remains of the Mammiferous Carnirora are found abundantly in 

 the Osaiferous caverns and Osseous Breccia. Those of a lion, a tiger 

 [FELIS], bears, a glutton, a weasel, a wolf [CANIS], a fox, a dog, and 

 hyaenas, have been satisfactorily identified ; but the bears, especially 

 the great Cavern Bear ( Urtat Spdccui) [BEAK], and the hyaenas [HY.EN A] 

 seem to have been predominant in many of the localities. 

 CAROB-TREE. [CERATONIA.] 

 CAROLINA PINK. [SPIOELIA.] 

 CARP. [CYPRINUS.] 

 CARP-BREAM. [BREAM.] 



CARPEL, a term applied to the fruits of plants. If the fruit of a 

 paeony is examined it will be found to consist of two or more hollow 

 bodies terminated by a stigma, and containing vegetable eggs or 

 ovules ; taken collectively these are called a Pistil, but each separate 

 body is a Carpel. A carpel is a transformed leaf, with its edges 

 brought into contact, united, and generating ovules at the inside of 

 the suture, while its midrib is lengthened and distended as a stigma. 

 If several carpels are arranged in the centre of a flower, they have 

 exactly the same respective position as the same number of leaves 

 would have ; and their sutures and stigmas are placed in the same 

 position as the united edges and distended points of ao many leaves 

 would be placed. Supposing these carpels to grow together by their 

 sides, their sutures will then be, with the ovules that belong to them, 

 in the centre of the body formed by such a union. When fruits or 

 pistils are composed of several carpellary leaves, or carpels not united, 

 they are called Apocarpous. When the carpels grow together, the pis- 

 til or fruit is said to be Syncarpous. (Schleiden, Principles of Scientific 

 Botany.) 



CARPHOLITE, a Mineral, a variety of Prehnite [PREHJJITE], occur- 

 ring in minute radiated stellate tufts, of a straw-yellow colour and 

 silky lustre. It is brought from the tin-mines of Schlackenwald in 

 Austria, with fluor-spar. 



CARPHOSIDERITE, a yellow Phosphate of Iron, brought from 

 Greenland. It occurs in reniform masses. (Dana, Mineralogy.) 



CARPI'NUS, a genus of plants belonging to the natural order 

 Cii/mli/erai, and distinguished obviously from the Beech (Betida), the 

 Oak (Quercut), &c., by its' cupule being prolonged on one side into 

 a leafy lobe, while its other lobes are shorter, and, as it were, 

 abortive. Ostrya, the Hop Hornbeam, differs in having an inflated 

 membranous cupule surrounding each nut. The following species are 

 known : 



C. Betidut, Common Hornbeam. It is an indigenous British tree 

 very common in copses, and frequently pollarded by the farmer. 

 When allowed to acquire its natural appearance, it forms a graceful 

 tree from 50 to 60 feet high, very often branching to within a short 

 distance of the ground. In general appearance it resembles the Beech,- 

 but it does not acquire the smooth plump bole of that tree, nor are 

 ita leaves so shining. Its wood is coarse, and unfit for cabinet-makers' 

 work, on account of the large size of its medullary processes ; but it 

 is tough, and well suited for cogs, handles of tools, and for other 

 purposes in which strength is required. It is much consumed on the 

 continent as fuel. Like the Beech, the Hornbeam, if stunted, retains 

 its withered leaves all the winter ; and as it bears clipping and close 

 pruning remarkably well, it is much employed for hedges where winter 

 shelter is required. The distinctive character of the Common Horn- 

 beam ia leaves oblong, cordate, oblique at the base, doubly serrated, 

 smooth, with the veins of the under side, which is very shining, downy 

 at the axils. Lobes of the cupules nearly entire. A cut-leaved variety 

 is known in gardens. 



C. Americana, American Hornbeam. It has ovate oblong leaves, 

 obliquely cordate at the base, doubly or almost simply serrated, smooth, 

 with the veins of the under side downy at the axils. Lobes of the 

 cupules somewhat falcate and serrated. Common from Lower Canada 

 to the Carolina^, and extremely frequent in almost all soils except 

 pine-barrens and swamps. It is a smaller tree than the European 

 Hornbeam, not usually acquiring a greater height than 15 to 20 feet, 



3 E 



