284 



CARNIVOEA 



Tooth-row relatively short (less than half condylo- 



basal length of skull) ; number of teeth in 



European members of family not more than 40. 



Auditory bulla divided into two chambers, the 



boundary between which is marked externally 



by an oblique constriction; upper molars 



usually (always in European genera) 2-2, 



the crown of the first wider externally than 



internally (Genets and Mongoose) Viverridm, p. 440. 



Auditory bulla simple ; upper molars 1-1, the 



crown wider internally than externally MusteUdas, p. 340. 



Upper carnassial with evident crushing surface 



on inner side, the crown triangular or 



rhombic in outline ; upper molar large, the 



length of its outer portion usually equal to 



or greater than that of carnassial. 



Skull normal, the rostrum longer than broad ; 



external form not modified for aquatic 



life, the toes long-clawed, not webbed, 



the tail not conspicuously muscular ; fur 



loose and coarse (Badgers) Melinse, p. 341. 



Skull much flattened ; rostrum broader than 

 long ; external form modified for aquatic 

 life, the toes short-clawed, webbed, the 

 tail conspicuously muscular; fur dense 



and fine (Otters) Lutrime, p. 354. 



Upper carnassial without crushing surface on 



inner side other than a small concave area 



between small inner lobe and main cusp, 



the crown not triangular or rhombic in 



outline; upper molar much reduced, the 



length of its outer portion one-third to 



one-half that of carnassial. 



Dentition highly trenchant ; small premolars 



not opposite, at least one pair capable of 



shearing action ; upper carnassial with 



posterior cusp narrow and trenchant ; 



auditory bulla longer than broad; form 



slender; feet digitigrade (Martens and 



Weasels) Mustdinx, p. 364. 



Dontition not highly trenchant ; small pre- 

 molars opposite, not capable of shearing 

 action, the points of all but pm? and pm i 

 widely separated when jaws are closed ; 

 upper carnassial with posterior cusp 

 broad, almost flat-topped ; auditory bulla 

 broader than long ; external form heavy ; 

 feet sub-plantigrade (Glutton) Gulminte, p. 432. 



Family TJRSIDiE. 



1825. Ursidie Gray, Thomson's Annals of Philosophy, xxvi, p. 339, 

 November, 1825. 



Geographical distribution. — Northern hemisphere, south in the 

 Old World to the Atlas Mountains and the Malay Archipelago, 

 and in America to the Andes. 



Characters. — Larger cheek-teeth of a strictly crushing type, 

 the crowns wide and flattened, with large terete cusps, the last 



