26o THE HISTORY OF CREATION. 



It is probable that the order of Rapacious animals (Car- 

 naria) developed out of a long since extinct branch of 

 Insectivora, at the beginning of the Eocene period. It 

 is a natural group, very rich in forms, but still of very 

 uniform organization. The Rapacious animals are some- 

 times also called Girdle-placentals (Zonoplacentals), although 

 the Pseudo-hoofed animals (Chelophora), in the same way, 

 also deserve this designation. But as the latter, in other 

 respects, are more closely allied to the Rodentia than to 

 Carnaria, we have already discussed them in connection 

 with the former. Animals of prey are divided into two, 

 externally very different, but internally very closely related, 

 sub-orders, namely, Land animals of prey and Marine animals 

 of prey. The Land animals of prey (Camivora) comprise 

 bears, dogs, cats, etc., whose pedigree can be approximately 

 guessed at by means of many extinct intermediate forms. 

 The Marine animals of prey, or Seals (Pinnipedia), com- 

 prise sea bears, sea dogs, sea lions, and walruses. Although 

 marine animals of prey appear externally very unlike land 

 animals of prey, yet by their internal structure, their jaw 

 and their peculiar girdle-shaped placenta, they are very 

 nearly akin to them, and have evidently originated out 

 of a branch of them, probably out of a kind of weasel 

 (Mustelina). Even at the present day the fish otters 

 (Lutra), and stiU more so the sea otters (Enhydris), present 

 £b direct form of transition to Seals, and clearly show how 

 the bodies of land Carnivora are transformed into the shape 

 of a Seal, by adaptation to an aquatic life, and how the 

 steering fins of marine rapacious animals have arisen out 

 of the legs of the former. The latter consequently stand 

 in the same relation to the former as do the Whales to 



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