CARNIVOEA OR BEASTS OF PREY. 459 



CARNIVORA or BEASTS OF PREY. 



Carnivora, which inchide all the Beasts of Prey and the 

 Seals and "Walruses {Pin7i!pedia), have always tAvo sets of 

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

 canines, premolars, and molars. The incisors are generally 



3—3 ^^ . 1—1 



— _, the canmes -, and are always large and well de- 

 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 zonary placental membrane. The 

 two sections of Carnivora are as follows : — 



1. Pwmiperf/rt = Seals. Fore and hind limbs short, and in 



the form of swimming-paddles. 



2. Fisdpedia = J)og», Cats, Tigers, Szc} 



Fissipedia. 



In this section we find the Weasels {^Mustelvla'), the Dogs 

 and Foxes {Canidcf), and the Felidie or Cats. 



MuSTELIDyE 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 carjius separate. Extinct. 



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



MustelidiC, Canida?, Folida!, ViverridiTD, &c. 



(3) Plnnipcdia. Limbs as paddles. Toes webbed. 



