68 MAMMALS

form; next to the fingers come (5) the trapezium,
(6) the trapezoid, (7) the magnum, and (8) the
unciform, or hook-shaped bone, the ninth, or central
bone, to which we have more than once alluded,
coming between the first and second rows.

The carnivores are divided into three groups—
fissipeds, pinnipeds, and creodonts—the first being
mostly land animals, of about 300 species ; the
second water animals, of about 50 species ; and the
third being as yet only found fossil. The fissipeds
are at once distinguishable from the others by their
having flesh-teeth, or carnassials—that is to say, a
back tooth on each side of both jaws specially modi-
fied to suit their carnivorous diet. There are three
groups of these land carnivores, which we may call
the cats, the dogs, and the bears, or, to use the tech-
nical and less misleading terms, the 4/urozdea, the
Cynoidea, and the Arctotdea. To the first of these
belong all the Fedde, large and small, lions, tigers,
leopards, pumas, lynxes, and what not; the Vzver-
vide, or civets, and mongooses ; the Proteleida, with
one representative, the aard-wolf; and the Hyenide.
The Cynoidea are really the dog family (Canzde),
including the wolves and foxes. The Arctotdea
include the Uvrstde, or bears; the Procyonide@, or
raccoons; and the Mustelide, or otters, badgers and
weasels.

None of the carnivores have less than four toes
on each foot. The dogs have five toes in front and
four behind; but on the fore feet the thumb is so
short as not to reach the ground, and on the hind
foot there is occasionally a ‘dew-claw,’ which is