378 BUEEAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 52 



as ridgelike as in the bone from Monte Hermoso; yet in all the Felidse 

 and also in the Enhydrocyon and PJilaocyon it exists as a tuberosity 

 arising from a ridge. In the rest of the dogs it is merely a pro- 

 nounced tuberosity. 



The anterior oblique line passing from the middle of the upper- 

 most portion of the shaft to beneath the third trochanter, was not 

 found in any of the fossil femora with the exception of the Enhydro- 

 cyon, in which there are traces of the same. 



In all the dogs the posterior portion of the spiral line is entirely 

 distinct and runs separate from the minor trochanter, proceeding 

 downward to form the linea aspera. In the PJilaocyon it extends to 

 the side of the minor trochanter and from this downward, as in the 

 dogs. In the cats the upper portion of the spiral line is less distinct 

 than in the dogs and tapers out without reaching the linea aspera; 

 besides this there exists in the Felidse a more or less marked ridge pro- 

 ceeding downward and outward from the inferior part of the minor 

 trochanter itself, as in the Tetraprothomo. 



The semicircular crest extending from the minor to the major 

 trochanter and forming one of the most characteristic features of the 

 Monte Hermoso femur, is present but situated high in the Nimraous; 

 in the Dinidis it is well-marked but slightly less deep than in the 

 Monte Hermoso femur; in the HopIo2)honeus well-marked and 

 nearly as in the Tetraprothomo; in the Pogonodon very much as in 

 the Tetraprothomo. In the Daphsenus and in the Mesocyon it is 

 well represented but runs more nearly transversely, and there are 

 only traces of it in the other dogs and the Phlaocyon. 



The antero-lateral surface, so well defined in the Monte Hermoso 

 specimen, is seen in very much the same form in all the Felidse, and 

 also in the Enhydrocyon and PJilaocyon, but in the remaining dogs 

 it is not well or not at all differentiated. 



As to the secondary ridge which runs along the median border of 

 the Tetraprothomo femur, traces only of this are seen in the Nimraous 

 and Hoplophoneus, tlie Dinictis being doubtful. 



In the cats and the Phlaocyon the flatness of the anterior surface 

 of the upper portion of the femur is slightly to moderately greater 

 than in the Tetraprothomo and moderately to decidedly greater in the 

 dogs. 



The more or less marked flattening of the shaft below the third 

 trochanter exists in aU the fossils examined. (See measurements, 

 p. 382.) 



In the shape of the base of the great trochanter, and in the situation 

 as well as the shape of the digital fossa, the femora of Nimraous, 

 jElurodon, and Daphsenus approximate closely to the TetraprotJiomo, 

 the others being more distant. 



The patellar fossa is absent from all tlie fossil Carnivora examined, 

 except in the jElurodon, in which it is low in position and shallow, 



