THE MAMMALS 239 



The native hollow-horned ruminants (Bovidce) are at 

 present confined to the Western plains, and comprise the 

 pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana), the wary big- 

 horn or Eocky Mountain sheep (Ovis canadensis), living in 

 mountain fastnesses, and the buffalo or bison (Bison ameri- 

 canus). All of these species were formerly abundant, 

 especially the pronghorn and buffalo, which roamed the 

 plains by thousands, but their extermination has been 

 nearly complete, small herds only persisting in a few wild, 

 inaccessible regions, or protected in parks. 



Our domestic sheep and cattle are probably the descend- 

 ants of several wild species living in Europe and other 

 portions of the world. Of the domesticated ungulates the 

 horse is the direct descendant of Asiatic wild breeds ; while 

 the pig traces its ancestry back to the wild boar (Sus scrofa) 

 of Europe, and probably a native species (S. indicus) of 

 eastern Asia. 



223. Flesh-eating mammals (Ferae). The order of Ferce 

 or Carnivora is typically exemplified by such animals as the 

 lions, tigers, bears, dogs, cats, and seals, forms which differ 

 from all other mammals by the large size of the canine teeth 

 (often called dog-teeth) and the molars, which are adapted 

 for cutting, not crushing. The limbs, terminated by four 

 or five flexible digits, bear well-developed claws, which, to- 

 gether with the teeth, serve for tearing the prey. While 

 the bears shuffle along on the soles of their feet, the greater 

 number of species, as illustrated by the dog and cat, tread 

 noiselessly on tiptoe. Almost all are fierce and bold, with 

 remarkably keen senses and quick intelligence, and are the 

 dreaded enemies of all other orders of mammals. 



The largest land-inhabiting carnivora are the bears, of 

 which the brown or cinnamon bear ( Ursus americanus), 

 inhabiting North America generally where not extermi. 

 nated, and the huge grizzly ( Ursus horribilis) of the West- 

 ern mountains, are the best-known species. The former 

 lives on berries and juicy herbs, while the grizzly prefers 

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