OliDEIiS OF MAMMALIA. 



349 



eminences, wliich render it rough and prickly, and ada])t it for the 

 office of Helving flesh from the bones of the prey. They are all 

 extremely light upon their feet, and excessively muscular ; and all 

 have the habit of seizing their prey by su(l<lenly springing upon it. 

 In this section are the Lion {Felis leo), the Tigei' {Felis tif/i'is), the 

 Jaguar {Felis oiica), the Puma {Felis eo/tcolor), the Leopard (Felis 

 leopardns), the Lynxes, and the true C'ats. 



The Lions are entirely confined to the Old World, inhabiting 

 Southei'n Asia and Africa. The males are maued, and the tail is 

 tufted. The Royal Tiger is exclusively Asiatic, as are most of the 

 Tiger-cats, but some of the latter are American. The Spotted C'ats 

 or Leopards are represented, among others, by the Leopaid and 

 Cheetah of the Old World and the well-known Jaguar of the Amer- 

 ican continent. The Puma is also American, but its colon- is uni- 

 foi'm. The Lynxes are distinguished by their tufted ears, and are 

 found both in the Eastern and Western hemispheres. 



Order XIII. Piodentia. 



In this order are a number of small animals, characterised by the 

 absence of canine teeth, and the possession of two long curved 

 incisor teeth in both jaws, which are se|iarated by a wide interval 

 from the molars (fig. 254). There are seldom more than two incisors 

 in the upper jaw (sometimes four), but there are never more than 



Fi;;. 25t.— A, Side-view of tlie skull of a Ro(le]it (Ci/nonii/s). B, Molar teeth of the 

 upper jaw of the Beaver {Castor fiber), (After Gjebel.) 



two in the lower jaw. The molar teeth are few in number (rarely 

 more than four on each side of each jaw). The feet are usually 

 furnished with five toes each. 



The most characteristic point about the Piudents is to be found 

 in the structure of the incisor teeth, which are adapted for con- 



