CARNIVORA. 
7 
racters of the mammalia, that is, they are vetebrated 
animals, breathe with lungs, have warm red blood, 
and a heart with two cavities, are viviparous, and 
suckle their young. All their feet are webbed, and 
those behind are calculated almost exclusively for 
swimming, whence they are cdXiedi pinnipedia^ . 
The teeth proper to the order are either altogether 
carnivorous, altogether insectivorous, or deviating 
in the different species from the character of perfect 
fitness for either of those kinds of aliment, so as to be 
more or less adapted to a vegetable regimen. The 
various degrees of this deviation constitute the di- 
stinguishing characters of the several genera and 
species. 
To mention briefly some of the less apparent cha- 
racters proper to the order, it may be observed, that 
all the species have the brain much furrowed, and 
without the third lobe at the back of the head; 
the orbit or eye-socket is not separated from the 
temporal fossae ; as may be observed in the several 
figures of the teeth and occiputs of the different 
species; the scull is flattened, and the zygomatic 
arch raised and extended to give more room for the 
play of the muscles of the jaw, which are consequently 
so much the more powerful ; their most acute sense 
is generally that of smell, and the pituitary membrane 
is therefore frequently spread over a great number of 
bony laminae ; their fore-arm does not turn with the 
* Cuvier names them amphibia, which is a term too compre- 
hensive, when the seals and walrus only are intended. 
