44 NATURAL HISTORY. 



the true Carnivora, with few exceptions, entirely sub- 

 sist. 



67. The animals of this order are readily distinguished 

 from others by their teeth, which are formed for seizing, 

 tearing, and cutting flesh, while those animals that eat 

 grains and grass have their principal teeth formed for 

 grinding. In Fig. 24 you have a representation of one 



side of the jaws of a carniv- 

 orous animal. The very long 

 pointed teeth are called ca- 

 nine teeth, because they are so 

 observable in the dog. The 

 teeth in rear of these are most- 

 ly cutting teeth, the upper 

 and lower going a little past 

 each other so as to cut like 

 Fig - 24 scissors. Herbivorous (herb 



or vegetable eating) animals have grinding teeth in this 



rear part of the jaw. 



68. The digestive organs of this order are conformed 

 to the nature of their food. As this is similar in quality 

 to the substance of the animal itself, it does not require 

 any complicated process to bring it into a fit state to 

 nourish it. The stomach is therefore- very simple and 

 small, and the intestines are short ; while in the grain 

 and grass eating animals the digestive apparatus is com- 

 plicated and extensive, it requiring, of course, much ma- 

 chinery to change into blood substances which are so un- 

 like it as these articles of food are. I shall speak of this 

 subject again when I come to the herbivorous Quadru- 

 peds. 



69. Some of the families of this order are not wholly 

 carnivorous. And just so far as any admit vegetable 

 food into their diet we see a corresponding variation from 

 the true carnivorous character of the teeth and the di- 

 gestive organs. The teeth, for example, lose to a greater 

 or less extent their tearing and cutting character. 



