DIVISION OF CARN1VORA INTO FAMILIES. FELID^E. 207 



4. VIVERRID^E, or Civet tribe, in which the body is somewhat 

 elongated, and the claws partly retractile ; their habits are noc 

 turnal, and many have a strong musky odour. The incisors are 

 , canines , false molars ~, carnivorous teeth -j^j-, tubercular 

 molars ~. 5. MUSTELID^E, or Weasel tribe : distinguished by 

 their long narrow bodies, and by their propensity to suck blood, 

 rather than to devour flesh; their dentition is as follows : incisors 

 , canines ~J false molars ~~ or , carnivorous teeth j, tu- 

 bercular molars [=[-. The remainder of the terrestrial species of 

 the order are plantigrade, applying the whole sole of the foot to 

 the ground in walking. 6. MELID.E, or Badger tribe, resembling 

 the Weasels in their dentition, but presenting a large blunt 

 tubercle on the inside of the carnivorous tooth. 7. URSIDJS, or 

 Bears; ihe animals of this family are characterised by their ro- 

 bust figure and heavy gait, as well as by the adaptation of their 

 teeth to a vegetable diet. Even the carnivorous tooth is small 

 and tubercular, and the false molars frequently drop out with 

 age. 8. CERCOLEPTIDJE, or the Kinkajous, a small family of 

 American animals, somewhat resembling the Bears in the char- 

 acter of their dentition, but possessing a long prehensile tail. 

 9. PHOCID^E, or Seal tribe ; these are at once distinguished by 

 the adaptation of their form to residence in the water, the body 

 being elongated and tapering from the chest to the tail, the hinder 

 limbs being directed backwards, so as to terminate the body, and 

 the extremities being converted into paddles. The dentition is 

 variable in the different genera, but it differs completely from 

 that of the other Carnivora ; the teeth are especially formed for 

 laying hold of the slippery prey on which these animals feed, and 

 for dividing the body of the fish they devour into large portions. 

 1 86. The FELID.E are all essentially carnivorous ; never 

 touching vegetable food, except when domesticated, and even 

 then only in small quantity. They will rarely devour any 

 flesh which they have not themselves killed, or which is un- 

 dergoing decomposition. They are, consequently, of all Mam- 

 malia, the most destructive in their propensities ; and their 

 bodily powers are in admirable accordance with their instincts. 

 Their frame is vigorous, but agile, the limbs short, the joints 



