I20 ' ' NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



FAMILIES OF FERAE 



Limbs so highly modified for swimming as to he prac- 

 tically useless for walking (Pinnipedia; seals 

 and their allies) 

 Hind feet capable of turning forward under the body ; a 



large tusk on each side of upper jaw (walruses) .. Rosmaridae, p. 120 

 Hind feet permanently directed backward; no tusks 



(seals) Phocidae, p. 121 



Limbs normal (Fissipedia; the true carnivores) 

 Hind foot with four toes 

 Claws retractile into a sheath ; muzzle broad and 



short; teeth not more than 30 (cats) Felidae, p. 123 



Claws not retractile; muzzle narrow and long; 



teeth 42 (dogs) Canidae, p. 126 



Hind foot with five toes 

 Entire sole not applied to ground in walking 



(weasels, otters, martins etc.) Mustelidae, p. 129 



Entire sole applied to ground in walking 

 Size small or medium ; tail well developed ; teeth 



36 to 40 (racoons, etc.) Procyonidae, p. 137 



Size very large, tail rudimentary; teeth 42 (bears) Ursidae, p. 138 



Family Rosmaridae Walruses 



Hind feet capable of turning forward under body; no external ears; a large 

 tush growing downward from each side of upper jaw. (Rosmaridae; genus 

 Rosmarus) 



The family Rosmaridae contains the one genus Rosmarus. 

 Genus Rosmarus Scopoli 



1777 Rosmarus Scopoli, lutrod. hist. nat. p. 490. Type Trichechus 

 rosmarus Linnaeus. 

 Characters of the family. (Rosmdrus; an old name for the walrus first 

 used by Olaus Magnus in the 16th century) 



The genus Rosmarus is represented by two species, one each in 

 the north Atlantic and north Pacific. 



Rosmarus rosmarus (Linnaeus) Atlantic walrus 



1766 Trichechus rosmarus Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 12. 1:49. 



(North Atlantic ocean) 

 1880 Odobaenus rosmarus Allen, History of North American pinnipeds, 



p. 23. 

 1894 Rosmarus rosmarus Rhoads, American naturalist. 28 : 523. 



Characters as above; bristly nose pad narrow. (rosm iiru s; an old name) 

 The Atlantic walrus, within our limits is now restricted to northern 

 Labrador ; its range formerly extended much farther south. 



