366 VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY 



they have six incisors of small size in each jaw, canines are large and 

 strong, the last premolar and the first molar are "carnassial " or cutting 

 teeth, and the last two molars are crushing teeth. The fissiped car- 

 nivores have a world-wide distribution, being native to all of the 

 large continental bodies except Australia. The principal family- 

 groups are: the cats, the civets, the hyaenas, the dogs, the raccoons, 

 the weasels, and the bears. 



Family 1. Felidoe {Cats). — This is much the largest and most 

 dominant of the carnivore fan).ilies. The carnassial teeth are highly 

 perfected shearing organs, canines especially long and curved, and 

 molars are greatly reduced. The claws are retractile, an arrangement 

 that gives the cats a quiet tread when stalking their prey. The typical 

 genus Felis includes such cats as the lions, tigers, leopards, lynxes, 

 jaguars, ocelots, pumas, and many smaller types. The domestic cat 

 is believed to be a descendant of the eastern wild species, Felis caffra, 

 first domesticated by the Egyptians and considered by them a sacred 

 animal. The Canada lynx (Fig. 189, A) is a short-tailed, somewhat 

 aberrant type of cat. 



Family 2. Viverridce (Civets). — The civets (Fig. 189, B) and their 

 kin, which comprise this family are rather small, more or less cat-like 

 carnivores that are native to Ethiopian and Oriental regions. The 

 claws are incompletely retractile and they have more teeth than the 

 true cats. The civets proper are decidedly feline in appearance and 

 are usually marked with black and white spots or stripes. The fossa 

 is a very cat-like carnivore; it is the largest carnivore native to Mada- 

 gascar. The mongoose is a small, extremely active animal of oriental 

 countries; it is noted for its ability to kill snakes, especially the deadly 

 cobra. 



Family 3. Hycenidae (Hycenas).— These animals (Fig. 189, C) are 

 in appearance and habits intermediate between the cats and the dogs. 

 They are either spotted or striped. The voice is said to be almost 

 human in sound and stories are told of human beings lured to their 

 death by following their cries. 



Family 4. Canidw {Dogs). —The dog family includes the wolves 

 (Fig. 189, D), foxes, coyotes, and the dingo of Australia, which is 

 believed to be an imported species. The domestic dogs are believed 

 to have been derived from several wild stocks, some of which may 

 have become extinct. In many ways the dogs are the most primitive 

 of the carnivores: the dentition is quite generalized, the claws are 



