ORDER CARNIVORA. 



1425 



(fig. 1 331), both the inner cusp of the blade and the talon may be 

 entirely wanting; or, again, the talon, as in Ursus (fig. 1309), may 

 attain excessive development, and the blade be proportionately re- 

 duced ; the cusps or lobes of the latter being in such cases placed 

 obliquely. 



Although the foregoing terms are those generally used in describing 

 the carnassial teeth, a few words may be said as to the serial homology 

 of their cusps. Thus, in the normal type of upper carnassial with two 



Fig. 1302. — Outer lateral view of the left dentition of the Wolf {Cam's fafius). Reduced, 

 z, Incisors ; c, Canine ; p, Premolars ; m, True molars. 



lobes to the blade (fig. 13 18, pm. 4), it appears that the inner tubercle 

 represents the protocone of the tritubercular type (p. 1275), the first 

 lobe of the blade corresponding to the paracone, and the second to the 

 metacone. In those forms with a trilobed blade (fig. 1325), the anterior 

 lobe is a superadded element not found in the primitive type. In the 

 lower carnassial (compare fig. 1145, p. 1275) the posterior lobe of the 

 blade, which is really external, is the protoconid ; the anterior lobe 

 (paraconid) and the inner cusp (metaconid) are both internal ; while the 

 talon is the hypoconid. 



With very few exceptions, the incisors are - in number. The 



3 

 digits are nearly always furnished with long, sharp, and more or less 

 curved claws, which in the true Cats (Fetis) can be retracted into 

 protecting bony sheaths. In some genera, like U?'sus, the whole of 

 the sole of the foot is applied to the ground in walking (plantigrade), 

 while in others, like Cams, only the terminal digits are so used 

 (digitigrade). As a feature of some importance in this suborder, 



