MEMOIRS 



OF THE 



CAENEGIE MUSEUM. 



VOL. I. NO. 3. 



OLIGOCENE CANID.E. 

 By J. B. Hatcher. 



While collecting in the Oligocene deposits in the Hat Creek Basin, Sioux Co., 

 Nebraska, during the season of 1901, Mr. 0. A. Peterson was fortunate in discover- 

 ing an almost complete skeleton (No. 492) of an extinct dog, which I have referred 

 to the species recently described by Prof. W. B. Scott as Daphsenus felinus, although 

 it differs in certain skeletal and dental characters which by some might be considered 

 as of specific importance. 



In about the same geological horizon and in the same general locality (Hat 

 Creek Basin) Mr. Peterson also discovered portions of the skeletons of three other 

 dogs. All of these have the skull for the most part well preserved. One of these 

 (No. 553) pertains to D. felinus, while a second (No. 491), 1 have been unable to 

 identify with any known genus or species. The third (No. 552), which consists of 

 a remarkably complete skull with lower jaw, atlas, axis, third cervical, and other 

 portions of the skeleton, while generically agreeing very well with Cope's descrip- 

 tion of D. hartshornianiis, presents such striking differences from those given by 

 Leidy for D. vetus, the type of the genus, that I have thought it best to erect for this 

 also a distinct genus and species. 



By reason of the remarkably perfect condition of this material, and more espe- 

 cially of the skeleton of Daphoenus felinus, which for the first time makes it pos- 

 sible to determine the more important osteological and dental characters of that 

 genus from a single skeleton, I have thought it desirable to figure and describe this 

 material in detail. Notw^ithstanding the recent contributions by Scott, Wortman, 

 and Matthew to our knowledge of the Oligocene canidjB it is believed that a careful 



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