From: kay@invalid.net   
      
   In article , mdhangton@gmail.com says...   
   >   
   > Kay Shapero wrote:   
   > > In article , mdhangton@gmail.com says...   
   > >>   
   > >> aileuromorphic   
   > >>   
   > >> vibrissae   
   > >>   
   > >> metapodia   
   > >>   
   > >> calcaneus   
   > >   
   > > The first two certainly go together - if your characters are catlike,   
   > > whiskers seem to be an obvious choice.  Though it would depend heavily   
   > > on scansion in my case since I generally write songs, not stories.   
   > >   
   > > Probably not the other two   
   >   
   > You don't see it.  In the cat family, the legs are extended by the   
   > lengthening of the metapodia, while the animal stands on its toes.  The   
   > calcaneus never touches the ground while walking.  This gives the   
   > felids their gracility.  In the family Procyonidae, the metapodia are   
   > less elongated and lie on the ground while the raccoon walks, yet the   
   > calcaneus never touches the ground as it does for hominids.   
      
   Ahh.. those two words are less common than the first too so I had to   
   look them up so was thinking more in terms of bones not their usages.   
   Still doubt I'd use them, though.   
      
   --   
      
   Kay Shapero   
   Address munged, try my first name at kayshapero dot net.   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)