1 34 canid.t:. 



Hysenas are easily tamed if captured young, and become very 

 docile and greatly attached to their niaslers. 



The number ot" young in a litter is, 1 believe, 3 or 4, but about 

 all points connected with the breeding more inrormatiou is required. 

 The period of gestation does not appear to have been observed. 



CYNOIDEA. 

 Family CANIDiE. 



The Cynoklca, consisting of a single family, Cnnidw, in which 

 are included dogs, wolves, jackals, and foxes, form a group of 

 Carnivores as easily recognized and as distinct as the Fdidcc. 



The head throughout the family is elongate, tail moderate, limbs 

 fairly developed, and the feet truly digitigrade, with the pads 

 similar in number and form to those in cats and hyauias. The 

 jH'int of a canine foot is very similar in shape to that of a hyaena's, 

 both differs from a cat's in having the two middle toe-pads at a 

 greater distance in advance of the other two, and in the whole foot 

 being much longer in proportion to its breadth. Throughout the 

 Canidre there are four toes on the hind foot, except in some cases 

 of domestic dogs, which have five, and all, except the African genus 

 Lycaon, have five toes on the fore feet, the pollex being much 

 shorter thaii the other digits and not reaching the ground. The 

 claws are blunt, nearly straight, and non-retractile. 



In the skull the muzzle is much lengthened, the postorbital 

 processes are short, the auditory bulhe inflated but not di\ided into 

 two by septa ; a paroccipital process is attached to the hinder part 

 of each bulla, but projects behind. There is an alisphenoid canal, 

 but only a rudimentary pterygoid fossa. 



Thei'e are always four premolars on each side of each jaw\ The 

 upper sectorial consists of a stout blade, of which the anterior cusp 

 is large, conical, and pointed bacIvAvards ; the ])Osterior cusp is in 

 the form of a compressed ridge; the inner lobe is very small and 

 placed quite at the fore part of the tooth. The first upper molar 

 is large, and much broader than long, its outer border bicuspid ; 

 the second molar is of the same shape but smaller. The lower 

 sectorial is a Aery large tooth, Avith a strong compressed bilobed 

 blade, the hinder lobe the larger and more pointed, a small but 

 distinct iinier tubercle inside the posteiior lobe of the blade, and a 

 broad low tuberculated heel. The second lower molar is less than 

 half the size of the first or sectorial; the third lower molar, when 

 present, is quite small. 



Clavicles exist but are rudimentary. The Acrtebral formula is 

 C. 7, D. 13, L. 7, y. 3, C. 17-^2. 



The family has an almost world-wide distribulion, and all the 

 forms are so closely similar in all essential structural characters 



