ORDER CARNIVORA. 



1435 



Middle Miocene of Europe, and is also found in the Pliocene of 

 India ; the forms from the Upper Eocene of North America 

 which have been referred to it, are regarded by Dr Scott as 

 distinct, and have been named Daphcenus. Its teeth closely 

 resemble those of Cam's, but there are three upper true molars ; 

 the femur has, however, a third trochanter, the feet are plantigrade 

 and pentedactylate, the distal end of the humerus has a foramen, 

 and the auditory bulla is somewhat inflated, with either a very 

 rudimentary or no septum. x This genus has therefore the dentition 

 of a Dog, coupled with limbs more like those of a Bear ; and it is a 

 curious comment on the attempt to maintain the families Canidce and 

 Ursidce that while Professor Flower places Amphicyon in the former, 

 Dr Schlosser refers it to the latter. This genus is evidently a very 



Fig. 1317. — Right ramus of the mandible of CepJialogalc brevirostris ; from the 

 Upper Eocene of France. 



generalised form, from which many others may have been derived. 

 In Cam's, comprising the Dogs, Wolves, and Foxes, the dental for- 

 mula is normally I. -, C -, Pm. -, M. - but in some forms 



3 1 4 3 



{Cyo?i) the lower true molars may be reduced to two, and in others 

 {Lycorus) there are but three lower premolars, while occasionally the 

 third upper true molar is retained. The characteristic features of 

 the teeth are shown in figs. 1302 and 13 18 ; but it maybe observed 

 that the relative length of the carnassial and the degree of obliquity 

 of the cusp-line in the lower carnassial varies in different species ; 

 the most specialised forms showing the greatest development of 

 these features. The third lower premolar has a hinder basal cusp 

 which is usually wanting in Amphicyon ; the humerus has no fora- 

 men ; the femur has lost the third trochanter ; the feet are digiti- 



1 The general characters of the base of the skull of Amphicyon are Canoid, 

 but in the presence of postparietal and mastoid foramina it agrees with the Bears. 



