Page:Natural History (1848).djvu/90

80 has been irritated, about a dram is collected at a time. The female, however, produces less. If it be not collected, it will drop in small pieces, about the size of a nut. Though readily tamed, the temper of the Civet is irritable, and not to be trusted. Through the Hyænas, which seem to belong to the Viverradæ, we are connected with the familiar animals of the present group. The Dogs have a more or less lengthened muzzle; the bony palate terminates in a line with the hinder margins of the posterior molar teeth; they have two flat tuberculous molars behind the carnivorous tooth. They do not attain the size of the greater Cats, but exceed that of the Civets: the legs are long, and hence the stature is elevated. Though carnivorous, their ferocity is not, generally, equal to their strength; they obtain their prey, not by a sudden bound, but by hunting it down, by the aid either of sight or smell, often associating in packs for this purpose. They are not averse to carrion. The species, under the names of Dogs, Wolves, Foxes, and Jackals, are widely scattered.

The generic characters of the Dog, including also the Wolf, are as follows. Teeth: inc. $6⁄6$, can. $1—1⁄1—1$; mol, $6—6⁄7—7$:=42. Tongue smooth; pupils of the eyes circular; fore feet with five toes; hind feet with four, and sometimes a fifth, at some distance from the ground; claws not retractile.