CAKNIVOEA OR BEASTS OF PKEY. 459 



CARNIVORA or BEASTS OF PREY. 



Carnivora, which inchicle all the Beasts of Prey and the 



Seals and "Walruses (Pinnipedia), have always two sets of 



teeth, covered by enamel. Teeth are of four kinds — incisors, 



canines, premolars, and molars. The incisors are generally 



3 3 \ J 



- — - , the canines •;; , and are always large and well de- 



o — o 1 1 



veloped, pointed and sharp ; the premolars and molars have 

 sharp cutting edges. Some molars and premolars, however, have 

 crowns adapted for bruising. As a general rule, the shorter the 

 jaw the fewer the molar and premolar teeth, and the more car- 

 nivorous the habits of the animal. The jaws can only move in 

 a vertical direction. The temporal muscles are strongly de- 

 veloped, so that the head is rather broad. All carnivora have 

 sharp claws, more or less curved, generally five, rarely four 

 toes, a short intestine, and abdominal teats. The foetus is 

 enclosed in a deciduate and zpnary placental membrane. The 

 two sections of Carnivora are as follows : — 



1. Prnwiye^^m = Seals. Fore and hind limbs short, and in 



the form of swimming-paddles. 



2. Fissipedia = 1)0^5, Cats, Tigers, Sic} 



Fissipedia. 



In this section we find the Weasels (Mustelidce), the Dogs 

 and Foxes (Oanidce), and the Felidce or Cats. 



MusTELiD^ OR Weasels. 



The body elongated and slender ; legs short ; toes five, armed 

 with sharp curved claws. The skull is long and flat, with a 



^ The most recent classification of the Carnivora is as follows : — ■ 



(1) Creodonta. Scaphoid and lunar of carpus separate. Extinct. 



(2) Fissipedia. Scaphoid fused with lunar. Toes separate = Ursida;, 



Mustelida3, Canidae, Felidse, Viverridse, &c. 



(3) Pvnmi/pedia. Limbs as paddles. Toes webbed. 



