Canidæ

Canidæ, or CYNOIDÆA, a family or section of Carnivora, occupying a position midway between the cats on the one hand and the bears on the other. The number and disposition of the teeth is less specialised than that of other Carnivora. Other distinctive characters are noted under CARNIVORA. Professor Huxley divides the family into two parallel series: (a) Thooid or Lupine types—e.g. Dogs, Wolves, Jackals; and (b) Alopecoid or Vulpine types—e.g. Fox, Fennec, Lycaon or Cape Hunting Dog, and the primitive Otocyon. Some fossil Canidæ such as Amphicyon and Cynodictis are still more generalised carnivores. See DOG, FOX, JACKAL, WOLF, &c.