ON THE FEET OF THE CANIDZ AND URSIDA. 913 
49, On the Feet and other External Features of the Canidee 
and? "Ursidese eo ywk. Pocock, FRS2 JPM. Se, 
F.Z.S., Curator of Mammals. 
[Received May 19, 1914: Read June 9, 1914. | 
(Text-figures 1-13.) 
INDEX. 
Page 
The Feet, Rhinaria, and Facial Vibrissee of the Canide ... 913 
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MhewMlecirotaiherWinsidcepemsaseocesen eee ne eee ates) O29 
Rhmaningor cheslirsidacwerkee eee teen ee ake | BT 
Glassiicatrontottne) Unsidaewee eee eee eee eee eee 88 
Family CANID &. 
Apart from the feet, the external features dealt with in this 
paper are the rhinaria and the facial vibrisse. 
The feet of the typical Canide are highly specialised, and show 
a close adaptive resemblance to those of the Felidz in the form 
of the plantar pad, the strong curvature of the line of the pads 
of digits two to five, in the backward position of the first digit of 
the fore foot, its absence from the hind foot, the hairiness of the 
area behind the plantar * pads, and the persistence of the single 
carpal pad on the fore feet. In their structural uniformity within 
the families, the feet of the Canidez and Felide show a marked 
contrast to those of the Viverride, Mustelide, Procyonide, and 
Urside. 
In most wild species of Canidz the feet differ only in minor 
points from those of domestic breeds already described +. The 
four principal digits are united by integument up to the base of 
the pads. The webbing thus formed may be wide or narrow, and 
clothed with longer or shorter hairs, according to the species. As 
in other Fissiped Carnivora, the hair grows in tufts between the 
pads of the feet and on the upper side of the webs. It is usually 
thickest and longest on the webs, the underside of the digits 
themselves showing a naked or nearly naked streak. 
The rhinariwm is always large and moist, there being apparently 
very little variation with respect to the extent to which the hair 
of the muzzle encroaches upon it. The upper lip below it is 
always divided by a narrow moist distensible area, which presents 
the form of a mere slit when its hairy margins are approximated 
in the middle line. 
The normal tufts of facial vibrisse are always present, but the 
* T use this term indifferently for the main pad of both fore and hind feet. 
+ P.Z.S. 1914, pp. 478-484. The method adopted in that case of ascertaining 
the extent of the web by cutting the hairs short has been followed in the present 
communication dealing with the feet of the wild species of Canidze and with the 
Urside. The figures represent the paws with the hairs cut and the digits distended. 
