CARNIV'ORA (Lat. neut. pl., from ea•°, flesh + curare, to devour). An order of mam mals, more or less efficiently adapted for preda ceous life, and including most of the forms popu larly known as beasts of prey. Not all animals carnivorous in diet are carnivore in structure, for the dasyure or Tasmanian devil is a mar supial, and the blood-sucking Desmodus is a bat. Nor are all the members of the order Carnivore in diet purely carnivorous, for the polar bears eat grass greedily, the ratels are very partial to honey, and many forms eat fruits, berries, in sects, mollusks, or crustaceans in a highly om nivorous manner.
The carnivore dwell in all parts of the world except New Zealand and Australia, where their work is done by flesh-eating marsupials. they vary in size from the ermine which one may hide in his pocket to hears that may weigh 2000 pounds; and arc' fitted for the chase of al most every variety of living creature, not even the oceanic birds (in their breeding•places) being exempt from their ravages. They thus serve as
a check upon the otherwise too rapid multipli cation of herbivores, rodents, etc., which relieved from them would soon swarm excessively. Their relations with mankind are mainly those of en mity. He pursues some for sport, others for their fur, and others in order to get rid of neigh bors dangerous to him or his domestic animals. The earnivore therefore disappear to a great ex tent in areas of civilization, the effect of which is felt in the increase of such pests as mice and gophers; but in some parts of the world wild beasts carry on even warfare, tigers and leop ards alone killing many thousands of human beings and cattle annually. Irons this class. however, mankind, has derived two of his most valued domestic pets—the dog and cat.