340 MAMMALIA : FEBjE. — LIII. 



Order LIII. rEK..9E. (The Flesh-Eaters or Carnivoha.) 



Canine teeth distinct, conical ; molars more or less adapted for 

 cutting ; clavicles imperfect or wanting ; toes provided with claws ; 

 skin covered with Lair or fur; alimentary canal short. General 

 structure in accordance with the predatory life led by all these 

 animals. (Lat.,/erus, a wild beast; the name Ferm of Linnseus is 

 much older than Cuvier's term Carnivora, which is in general use.) 



Families of Ferse. 



a. Limbs short, unfitted for walking; the toes united in a flat paddle, from 

 which only the claws project; no external ear; tail very short; eyes 

 large; incisors often less than |. {Finnipedia.)^ 



b. Hind limbs directed backwards, used only in swimming; claws strong; 



neck short Phocid^, 198. 



aa. Limbs fitted for walking; the toes distinct; incisors |. (Fissipedia.) 

 b. Hind feet with 5 toes, 

 c. Feet fully plantigrade ; sectorial teeth and the molars behind them all 

 tubercnlate. 

 d. Tail well developed; body rather slender, the snout sharp. 



Peoctonid^, 199. 

 dd. Tail rudimentary; body very robust; snout not acuminate. 



TJrsid^, 200. 

 cc. Feet sub-plantigrade or digitigrade ; only one tuberculate molar, the 



sectorial premolar of typical form Mustelid^, 201. 



bb. Hind feet with 4 toes. 



e. Teeth 42 ; claws not retractile ; snout more or less produced. 



Casidm, 202. 



ee. Teeth 28 to 30; claws retractile into a sheath; snout short, the 



head broad FBLn).E, 203. 



Family CXCVIII. PHOCIDuE. (The True Seals.) 



Seals with the fore limbs well forward ; neck short ; hind limbs 

 directed backward, useless on land ; hand and foot hairy ; nails 

 usually well developed ; no external ear. Other characters further 

 distinguishing these seals from the Fur Seals and Sea-Lions (0(a- 

 riidce), and the Walruses (^OdohanidcB), are drawn from the skele- 

 ton. Genera 10-11 ; species numerous; found on most coasts, 

 swimming freely in the water and feeding chiefly on fishes, resting 

 and sunning in the rocks on the shore, sometimes breeding on float- 

 ing ice. 



a. Incisors usually ||; interorbital region very narrow; nails of all digits 

 well developed (other characters drawn from the skull). {Phocin(e.) 

 b. Snout narrow ; incisors simple, conical Phoca, 594. 



I The Eared Seals {Otariidai) and Walruses (OdobtmidO!), having external ears, 

 and limbs used for walking, form a distinct suborder, &ressigrada^ containing the Sea 

 Lions, Fur Seals or Sea Bears, and the Walrus. 



