MAMMALIA. 655 



the penultimate joint of the toe, are inserted into the last phalanx 

 in such a manner that, by their elasticity, under ordinary circum- 

 stances, they keep the claw laid back upon the upper aspect of the 

 foot ; so that, the soft cushions beneath the toes being the only 

 parts brought in contact with the ground, these creatures always 

 walk with a stealthy and noiseless tread. But when the Tiger 

 springs upon his prey, the tendons of the flexor muscle of the toes, 

 implanted into the opposite surface of the phalanx, overcoming the 

 elasticity of the retractile ligaments, pluck forward the curved claws, 

 and, burying them deeply into the flesh of the victim, the strongest 

 animals struggle vainly to shake off a gripe so tenacious. 



But, among the Digitigrade Carnivora, none are of so much 

 importance as the Dog ; an animal specially provided for the use 

 of mankind, to be his companion in the field, and his assistant 

 at the chase. Nor has Nature, in the case of the Dog, merely 

 given to man a servant endowed with sagacity and zeal : man has 

 need of help in various ways, and under very different circum- 

 stances. In bodily strength he is unable to cope with ferocious 

 enemies that surround him on all sides ; his senses are imperfect, 

 when compared with those of some of the lower animals ; in speed 

 he is outstripped by the very creatures appointed to be his food 

 how then are all these deficiencies to be compensated ? The Dog 

 has been placed at man^s disposal : its instincts, its size, its form, 

 its senses, and its corporeal attributes, are all subjugated to his 

 control; and thus whatever aid he may require, is to be obtained 

 by the cultivation of its faculties. 



(735.) The PLANTIGRADE CARNIVORA, as their name indi- 

 cates, in walking apply the entire sole of the foot to the ground, as 

 far back as the end of the os calcis : such are the Bear (Ursus), the 

 Glutton (GWo), the Badger (J/e/es), and others of similar organ- 

 ization. These tribes are less exclusively carnivorous in their 

 habits than the preceding, and their nails are not retractile, so 

 that their points are blunted by dragging upon the ground. 



(736.) The INSECTIVORA form another section of these de- 

 structive quadrupeds, distinguished by their molar teeth being 

 studded with sharp points, and thus calculated to devour insect 

 prey : the Hedgehog (Erinaceus), the Shrew (Sorex), and the 

 Mole (Talpd), are well-known examples of this division, and 

 their habits are known to all. We need scarcely mention the 

 peculiar circumstances under which the Mole passes its subter- 

 ranean existence, or the extraordinary conformation of its anterior 



