346 NOTES ON THE CANIDJE OF THE WHITE RIVER OLIGOCENE. 



shape of the scapho-lunar, recalling that which we find among the mustelines, strongly 

 suggests that Daphcenus had a plantigrade or, at least, a seiniplantigrade gait. 



The metacarpus (PI. XX, Fig. 17) consists of five members, which bear little resem- 

 blance to those of the recent Canldce. Schlosser ('88, p. 24) has pointed out the essential 

 characteristics of the metacarpus among the modern forms, and it will be well to 

 quote his description, in order to make clear how widely Daphamus departs from the 

 arrangement which has been attained by the later representatives of the family. 



" Die Metapodien haben sich auffallend gestreckt unci sind zugleich kantig 

 geworden. Sie zeigen nahezu cpiadratiseheii Querschnitt, in Folge ihres gegenseitigen 



Druckes ; sie liegen einander namlich ungemein dicht an Die distalen Gelenk- 



flaehen haben das Aussehen von sehr kurzen Walzen und sind beiderseits scharf 

 abgestutzt. Es lasst sich eine freilich sehr entfernte Aehnliehkeit mit dem Fusse von 



Hafthieren, namentlich vom Schweine — nicht verkennen Die Anordnung der 



Carpalien ist scheinbar primitiver als bei den iibrigen Raubthieren, wenigstens als 

 dieselben unter einander und mit den Metacarpalien nur reihenweise artikuliren, statt 

 wechselseitig in einander zu greifen. Auch hat nur das Scapholunare eine etwas 

 betrachtlichere Gn'sse erreicht, Magnum sowie Trapezoid und Trapezium bleiben sehr 

 kurz und enden sowohl oben als auch unten sammtlich in einer Ebene. Demzufolge 

 liegen auch die proximalen Facetten der Metacarpalien so ziemlich in einer einzigen 

 Ebene." 



This description of the structure of the manus in the recent Canidce does not at all 

 apply to Dapfiamus. In this genus the metacarpals are remarkably short and quite 

 slender; tiny are not very closely approximated, but diverge somewhat toward the distal 

 end, and hence they have not acquired the quadrate shape winch Schlosser mentions as 

 so characteristic of the modern dogs. The general appearance and character of the meta- 

 carpals, and their mode of articulation with each other and with the carpals are very 

 much as in the wolverine (Ghilo). 



The first metacarpal, even of the large D. felinus, is actually not much longer than 

 that of the coyote (('. latrans), but is much longer in proportion to the other metacarpals, 

 as well as much stouter and in every way better developed. The proximal end is 

 thickened both transversely and antero-p isteriorly, and bears a large facet for the trape- 

 zium, which must have been a relatively large bone; this facet is convex in the dorso- 

 pahnar direction and is very slightly concave transversely, while in Cards it is deeply 

 concave in this direction. In D. veins the articular surface for the trapezium is more 

 oblique and inclined toward the radial side than in D. felinus. There is no other well- 

 defined facet for any carpal but the trapezium, nor for nic ii. The shaft is 

 short, slender, of oval or subcircular section, and arched toward the dorsal side. 



