THE MAMMALS 239 
The native hollow-horned ruminants (Bovide) are at 
present confined to the Western plains, and comprise the 
pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana), the wary big- 
horn or Rocky Mountain sheep (Ovis canadensts), living 
in mountain fastnesses, and the buffalo or bison (Bison 
bison). All of these species were formerly abundant, 
especially the pronghorn and buffalo, which roamed the 
plains by thousands, but their extermination has been 
nearly complete, small herds only persisting in a few wild, 
inaccessible regions, or protected in parks. 
Our domestic sheep and cattle are probably the descend- 
ants of several wild species living in Europe and other 
portions of the world. Of the domesticated even-toed 
ungulates the horse is the direct descendant of Asiatic 
wild breeds; while the pig traces its ancestry back to the 
wild boar (Sus scrofa) of Europe, and probably a native 
species (S. indicus) of eastern Asia. 
223. Flesh-eating mammals (Fere),—The order of Fere 
or Carnivora is typically-exemplified by such animals as the 
lions, tigers, bears, dogs, cats, and seals, forms which differ 
from all other mammals by the large size of the canine teeth 
(often called dog-teeth) and the molars, which are adapted 
for cutting, not crushing. The limbs, terminated by four 
or five flexible digits, bear well-developed claws, which, to- 
gether with the teeth, serve for tearing the prey. While 
the bears shuffle along on the soles of their feet, the greater 
number of species, as illustrated by the dog and cat, tread 
noiselessly on tiptoe. Almost all are fierce and bold, with 
remarkably keen senses and quick intelligence, and are the 
dreaded enemies of all other orders of mammals. 
The largest land-inhabiting carnivora are the bears, of 
which the brown or cinnamon bear (Ursus americanus), 
inhabiting North America generally where not extermi- 
_ nated, and the huge grizzly (Ursus horribilis) of the West- 
ern mountains, are the best-known species. The former 
lives on berries and juicy herbs, while the grizzly prefers 
