5 62 



CARNIVORA 



and Arctvtlierium, to the true Bears. Most of the species of Hyce- 

 narctus were of very large dimensions, but smaller forms occur in the 

 Miocene. Cephalogale, of the Continental Tertiaries, is a genus 

 represented by several species of medium size showing evident 

 signs of affinity with Hycenardus. The upper molars have sub- 

 triangular crowns, while the carnassial is short, and has two com- 

 paratively low lobes. Here also may be mentioned several other 

 genera, apparently more or less closely allied to the present group, 

 some of which are regarded by Dr. Schlosser as showing marked 

 signs of affinity to the Procyonida. Among these are Simocyon from 

 the Pliocene of Europe, with p ^5, m f ; and Enliydrocyon of the 

 North American Miocene, with p f , m f , a secant talon to the 

 lower carnassial, and a very short skull. The Miocene JElurodon 

 comprises several large North American forms, having a trilobed 

 upper carnassial like that of Hycenarctus, and a dental formula 

 similar to that of the latter and Canis Prohycena is founded upon 

 a much- worn jaw of ^lurodon. Hycenocyon, of the Miocene of the 

 United States, with^> f, m 4> appears to be an allied form, also 

 having a trilobed upper carnassial. 



Family PROCYONID.*:. 



True molars f , tuberculated or multicuspid ; upper carnassial 

 short and broad. Alisphenoid canal absent, except in JElwrus. 

 Feet plantigrade. Tail generally annulated. In some cases an 

 entepicondylar foramen to the humerus. Typically American, but 

 with the outlying Oriental genus jElurus. 



j^Elurus, 1 Dentition : i f , c ^, p f , m f- ; total 38. First lower 

 premolar very minute and deciduous. Molars (Fig. 259) remark- 

 able for their great transverse breadth and the numerous cusps of 

 their crowns. Vertebra? : C 7, D U, L 6, S 3, C 18. Skull (Fig. 

 259) high and compressed, very convex, with the facial portion short, 

 the palate convex antero-posteriorly, and the ascending ramus of 

 mandible extremely high. Head round. Face short and broad. 

 Ears large, erect, pointed. Limbs stout, with large sharp semi- 

 retractile claws. Tail nearly as long as body, cylindrical, annulated, 

 and clothed with long hairs. Fur long and thick. One existing 

 species, ^. fulgens, the Panda (Fig. 258), an animal rather larger 

 than a Cat, found in the South-East Himalaya, at heights of from 

 7,000 to 12,000 feet above the sea, among rocks and trees, and 

 chiefly feeding on fruits and other vegetable substances. Its fur 

 is of a remarkably rich reddish-brown colour, darker below. 



The genus jElurus has been made the type of a distinct family, 



1 F. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. dcs Mammiftrcs (1825). Amended from 

 For anatomy, see Flower, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1870, p. 752. 



'Ailurus." 



