88 
ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 
accompanied by a corresponding developement of those 
accessory organs which assist them in their action. 
The dentary system of the animals of this group con- 
sists of six small and nearly equal incisors in each jaw, 
disposed in an almost straight line in front of the mouth ; 
of two canines bounding the series of incisors, those of 
the upper jaw of great length, strong, conical, sharp- 
pointed, slightly incurved, passing, as in all carnivorous 
beasts, when the mouth is closed, behind those of the 
lower, which scarcely differ from them in form, but are 
somewhat inferior in size and power ; and of cheek- 
teeth, which require a more particular description. 
These are four in number in the upper jaw, and gene- 
rally three in the lower ; the two anterior in both series 
are smaller than the third, and furnished each with a 
single, somewhat conical, pointed, central process ; the 
third in the lower forms two, and in the upper three, 
sharp-pointed lobes, with an additional internal tubercle 
in the latter ; and the fourth, which is peculiar to the 
upper jaw and is placed within the posterior margin of 
the third, offers nothing more than a small transverse 
tubercle. The series is not absolutely uninterrupted, a 
vacancy being left between the two somewhat larger 
lateral incisors of the upper jaw and the canines for the 
reception of the canines of the lower jaw, and the 
cheek-teeth being seldom placed in close apposition 
with each other or with the canines. The slightest 
inspection of these organs, and more especially of the 
canine and of the larger cheek-teeth (the latter of 
which may be denominated lacerators, a term equivalent 
to the French designation of carnassiers), is sufficient to 
prove that nothing can be better adapted to the purpose 
of tearing asunder the large masses of flesh which are 
swallowed by these animals without being subjected to 
the process of mastication, which their structure and 
