All the families of the order do not, however,
possess the carnivorous appetite, or the destruc-
tive power, in the same degree. The character of
the molar teeth indicates, with the utmost preci-
sion, the extent to which the flesh-eating propen-
sity exists in any animal of this order. In the
Cats (Felide) the most typical of all Carnivora,
the molars terminate at their summits in triangu-
lar lobes, the edges of which cut like lancets;
and they have but one small tuberculous tooth on
each side, and that only in the upper jaw. On
the other hand, the Bears (Ursidæ), most of which
feed largely on vegetable substances, have nearly
all the molar teeth tuberculated. Yet from one
of these extremes to the other, there runs a series
of modifications forming an almost uninterrupted
chain.
The present order is one of great extent; and its numerous species are widely distributed over both continents. Among those which inhabit tropical regions, are found the most ferocious and most formidable of quadrupeds. It comprises six families, Ursidæ, Musteladæ, Felidæ, Viverradæ, Canidæ, and Phocadæ.
Family I. Ursidæ.
(Bears.)
In the slowness and nocturnal habits of the Bears, we recognise their affinity to the last order; and no less in the fact that most of the species which inhabit cold and temperate climates, pass the winter in a state of torpid insensibility. They lay the whole sole of the foot on the ground in walking, which gives them a heavy shufiling gait,
