THE OSTEOLOGY OF HYJSNODON. ' 523 
.„..t „f t„e t„,e ea,.„ivo.. L,, . :tir:sr 
ofcatlj , less so than is the case in most of the Canidte. The 
head IS small, hemispherical, projecting strongly toward the 
mesial side, as well as proximallj; it is set upon a very dis- 
tinct neck and has a remarkably small pit for the round 
ligament. The bridge connecting the head with the great 
trochanter is narrow and compressed. The great trochanter 
is ma.ssive and roughened, but low, not rising as high as the 
head and enclosing a sniall but deep digital fossa. The 
second trochanter is developed to an unusual degree ; it 
forms a prominent, heavy and rugose pyramid, which is 
much more pronounced than in the recent carnivores and 
is more closely connected with the great trochanter by 
means of an elevated ridge. The third trochanter, which 
in most of the creodonts is very distinctly developed, has 
in IlycEtiodon become rudimentary and is not so well marked 
as in the early dogs and cats; e. g., Daphmms and D midis. 
The e.xternal linea aspera, with which the third trochanter 
is connected, is also but feebly marked. The proximal end 
of the shaft is not so much exp.anded transversely as in 
the Canida: and, aside from the large size of the second 
trochanter, the whole upper part of the femur is decidedly 
more feline than canine in appearance. The shaft is flattened on the posterior face, 
rounded on the other sides and relatively very slender. In the latter respect, how- 
ever, tli(*re are considerable differences between the species, the larger forms having 
relatively stouter bones, and even in the same species marked differences occur, 
whicli inav. |HThi,|,». W of a sa.vaal nature. The shaft of the femur h.as a double 
cirvaltliv.'arehiug Ih.|Ii foi-ward and oultv.trd. so timt the inner profile, when viewed 
from the Ironl, is ilistinctly concave and tlie outer convex. The distal end is 
nUKlcratcIv widened traiisvci-sely and very thick antero-posterioy , in which dimen- 
sion it |,n,|,ortio, lately inucli exceeds tlie femur of the wolf The .yular trochlea 
i. not like that found in the recent carnivores , it is narrow and Y*“P- " 
coinpreeae.!. shar,, and elovntod horders, and is reflected far np "f” ‘'’t, “ * 
face of the shaft The internal Imrder is higher than the extern. , ""d “ 
structure has a iKU-issudactyl ofter mii 
arc rather small, but project strongly to t 1 „ating the condyles is 
slightly exceeds tlie inner one m brc.uU . 
slightly narrower proportionately than m j for a sesamoid bone, 
vores. therc^ is a small facet on the 1--^ ' thinning is especi- 
The patella is of oval shape ami ol no gieat c 
ally noticCble in the smallest of the »FCies, H. nmslelmm. 
68 JOURN. A. N. S. PHILA., VOIa. IX. 
Kio. 7. — II}/<rno(lon enun- 
tun; latyft fciiiiir friini the 
rront, i natural ni/.e. 
