6 14 MANUAL OF ZOOLOGY. 



species is the Arctic Fox, which abounds in the Arctic regions, 

 and changes its colour with the season, being brown or bluish 

 in summer, and white in winter. The soles of its feet are hairy. 

 Other well-known Foxes are the Red Fox ( V. fulvus) of North 

 America, the Deccan Fox ( V. Bengalensis} of India, and the 

 Caama ( V. Caamd) of Africa. 



Fig. 262. Skull of Jackal (Canis aureus). 



The Jackals have a round pupil and a dental formula like 

 that of the Dogs. They inhabit Asia and Africa, are gregari- 

 ous, hunt in packs, and burrow in the ground. 



The last group of the Digitigrada is that of the Felidtz or 

 Cat tribe, comprising the most typical members of the whole 

 order of the Carnivora, such as the Lions, Tigers, Leopards, 

 Cat, and Panthers. The members of this family all walk upon 

 the tips of their toes, the soles of their feet being hairy, and 

 the whole of the metacarpus and heel being raised above the 

 ground (fig. 259, C). The jaws are short, and owing to this 

 fact, and to the great size of the muscles concerned in masti- 

 cation, the head assumes a short and rounded form, with an 

 abbreviated and rounded muzzle. The molars and praemolars 

 are fewer in number than in any other of the Carnivora (hence 

 the shortness of the jaws), and they are all trenchant, except 

 the last molar in the upper jaw, which is tuberculate. The 

 upper carnassial has three lobes, and a blunt heel or internal 

 process. The lower carnassiai has two cutting lobes, and no 

 internal process. According to Owen, the dental formula is 



1 ^ i i 3 1 i i 



I - - : c - ', P m - - : m = 30. 



3 3 ; i i 2 2 } i i 3 



The legs are nearly of equal size, and the hind-feet have 

 only four toes each, whilst the fore-feet have five. All the 

 toes are furnished with strong, curved, retractile claws, which, 

 when not in use, are withdrawn within sheaths by the action 



