564 



LAND MAMMALS IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE 



some of the species it was shorter and wider. The brain-case 

 was more capacious and the brain more richly convoluted 

 than in any other known fcreodont, but the sagittal and oc- 

 cipital crests were very prominent. The neck was rather short, 

 not equalling the head in length, the body elongate and the 

 loins very muscular; the tail was fairly long and thick, but 

 much less so than in most fcreodonts. The limbs were short 

 and, in most of the species, quite slender, though in some they 

 were much stouter ; the primitive features, such as the third 



Fig. 278. — Skeleton of ^Hycenodon. American Museum. 



trochanter of the femur, the epicondylar foramen of the hu- 

 merus, the separate scaphoid, lunar and central in the carpus, 

 were retained. The feet had five digits arranged in spreading 

 fashion and were probably semi-digitigrade ; the claws were so 

 thick and blunt that they could hardly have served in seizing 

 prey. 



The restoration gives the animal quite a near resemblance 

 to the modern hyenas and perhaps errs in making the likeness 

 so close. From the whole structure of the skeleton and the 

 form of the claws, it may be inferred that ^Hyoenodon was not 

 a swift runner or very efficient in the capture of prey. While 

 probably savage fighters, they doubtless subsisted chiefly as 

 carrion-feeders and scavengers. 



