. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. Zoology; Zoology. 66 BULLETIN OF THE CARNIVORA. CANID^. .33LURODON, Leidy. (Syn. Epicyon, Leidy. Canis, Leidy, in part. Palhycena, Schlosser.) The dogs of this genus are the most abundant of the Loup Fork Canida?, and, as their relations and systematic position have been very generally misunder- stood, it will be well to describe them in some detail. The special peculiarity of the genus is to be found in the development of a large anterior basal lobe on the superior sectorial, as in the cats. The postero-internal cone (metacon
. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. Zoology; Zoology. 66 BULLETIN OF THE CARNIVORA. CANID^. .33LURODON, Leidy. (Syn. Epicyon, Leidy. Canis, Leidy, in part. Palhycena, Schlosser.) The dogs of this genus are the most abundant of the Loup Fork Canida?, and, as their relations and systematic position have been very generally misunder- stood, it will be well to describe them in some detail. The special peculiarity of the genus is to be found in the development of a large anterior basal lobe on the superior sectorial, as in the cats. The postero-internal cone (metaconid) of the lower sectorial is much reduced, and in some species almost disappears. The talon of this tooth is rather short, and consists of an internal and external cone or tubercle, being of the basin-like character. The premolars are remark- ably heavy, and possess well developed basal conules. There are four well marked species of this genus, of which the best known is -^Elurodon saevus, Leidy (Cope). (Syn. Canis scevus, Leidy. jElurodon ferox, Leidy. ^Elurodon scevus, Cope.) This species is characterized by the very small size of the internal cusp of the upper sectorial, and by the nearly straight and slender mandible ; the in- cisors are rather small, and the first upper molar is very large and subtri- angular in shape. The skull as fig- ured by Cope (American Naturalist, XVII.) presents a rather short, nar- row muzzle, and is in general quite bear-like in appearance. Notwith- standing its peculiarities of dentition, this animal is an unmistakable dog, and the structure of the skull, ver- tebrae, limbs, and feet is character- The metapodials are, however, somewhat less elongated. Figure 1. —JElurodon scevus, fragment of right superior maxillan- X §. istically cynoid proportionally than in existing dogs. ^llurodon Haydeni, Leidy. (Syn. Canis Haydeni, Leidy. Epicyon Haydeni, Leidy.) This species is verj'- large, and is remarkable for the short, massive mandible and the st
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