346 NOTES ON THE CANIDH OF THE WHITE RIVER OLIGOCENE. 
shape of the seapho-lunar, recalling that which we find among the mustelines, strongly 
suggests that Daphanus had a plantigrade or, at least, al semiplantigrade gait. 
The metacarpus (Pl. XX, Fig. 17) consists of five members, which bear little resem- 
blance to those of the recent Canide. Schlosser (88, p. 24) has pointed out the essential 
characteristics of the metacarpus among the modern forms, and it will be well to 
quote his description, in order to make clear how widely Daphenus departs from the 
arrangement which has been attained by the later representatives of the family. 
“Die Metapodien haben sich auffallend gestreckt und sind zugleich kantig 
geworden. Sie zeigen nahezu quadratischen Querschnitt, in Folge ihres gegenseitigen 
... Die distalen Gelenk- 
fiichen haben das Aussehen yon sehr kurzen Walzen und sind beiderseits scharf 
Druckes ; sie liegen einander niimlich ungemein dicht an. 
abgestutzt. Es lisst sich eine freilich sehr entfernte Aehnlichkeit mit dem Fusse von 
Hufthieren, namentlich yom Schweine—nicht verkennen. .... Die Anordnung der 
Carpalien ist scheinbar primitiver als bei den tibrigen Raubthieren, wenigstens als 
dieselben unter einander und mit den Metacarpalien nur reihenweise artikuliren, statt 
wechselseitig in einander zu greifen. Auch hat nur das Scapholunare eine etwas 
betriichtlichere Grisse erreicht, Magnum sowie Trapezoid und Trapezium bleiben sehr 
kurz und enden sowohl oben als auch unten simmtlich in einer Ebene. Demzufolge 
liegen auch die proximalen Facetten der Metacarpalien so ziemlich in einer einzigen 
Ebene.” 
This description of the structure of the manus in the recent Canid@ does not at all 
apply to Daphenus. In this genus the metacarpals are remarkably short and quite 
slender; they are not very closely approximated, but diverge somewhat toward the distal 
end, and hence they have not acquired the quadrate shape which Schlosser mentions as 
so characteristic of the modern dogs. The general appearance and character of the meta- 
earpals, and their mode of articulation with each other and with the carpals are very 
much as in the wolverine (G'wlo). 
The first metacarpal, even of the large D. felinus, is actually not much longer than 
that of the coyote (@. latrans), but is much longer in proportion to the other metacarpals, 
as well as much stouter and in every way better developed. The proximal end is 
thickened both transversely and antero-posteriorly, and bears a large facet for the trape- 
zium, which must have been a relatively large bone; this facet is convex in the dorso- 
palmar direction and is very slightly concave transversely, while in Canis it is deeply 
concave in this direction. In OD. vetus the articular surface for the trapezium is more 
oblique and inclined toward the radial side than in D. felinus. There is no other well- 
defined facet for any carpal but the trapezium, nor for me. ii. The shaft is 
short, slender, of oval or subcireular section, and arched toward the dorsal side. 
