340 MAMMALIA : FER^. — LIII. 



Order LIII. FER^. (The Flesh-Eatehs or Carnivora.) 



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

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

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

 structure in accordance with the predatory life led by all these 

 animals. (haX. ,ferits, a wild beast; the name Ferce of Linnaeus is 

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



Families of Feree. 



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 8. {Finnipedia.y 



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



neck short Phocid^e, 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 

 tuberculate. 

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



PROCYONIDiB, 199. 



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



Uhsidjk, 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. 



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



Canid^, 202. 



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



head broad Felid^, 203. 



Family CXCVIIL PHOCID^. (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 (Ota- 

 riidce), and the Walruses (Odobcenidm), 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. 



u. Incisors usually ig; interorbital region very narrow; nails of all digits 

 well developed (other characters drawn from the skull), (/"iocinoe.) 

 b. Snout narrow; incisors simple, conical Phoca, 694. 



> The Bared Seals {Otariida) and Walruses (Odobcmidce), having external ears, 

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

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



