Vol. XIV, pp. 137-143 August 9, 1901 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



THE AMERICAN JA(;UARS. 



BY EDGAR A. MEAKNS. -Si 



' Sit t\ r 



Tlie jag-uars of South America are readily disting-uijiliable 

 from the forms to the northward hy cranial and dental charac- 

 ters, as shown beyond. 



The materials from South America in tlie collection of the 

 United States National Museum, including those of the Biolog- 

 ical Survey of the United States Department of Agriculture, 

 aggregating ten skulls and one mounted specimen, are insuffi- 

 cient for elucidating the southern foi-ms which, collectively, 

 represent the ^Felh o/ica Linnauis' of niodcM-n authors. Con- 

 sideral)le variation is observed in tlie skulls of eight males from 

 Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Parana. The largest of these 

 (No. 4128, U. S. National Museum) is from Paraguay, and 

 measures 24*2 mm. in basilar length (Hensel). The audital 

 bulhe are much flattened, with the space between them and the 

 mastoid and paroccipit il processes comj)letely tilled. The teeth 

 give the following measurements: crown of upper carnassial, 

 29 by 1.3. G mm.; crown of middle upper premolar, 20.3 by 11; 

 length of upi)er canine, from gunis, 43; length of incisor 

 series, measured on alveoli, 35. Compared with the above 

 specimen, the skull of No. 43G1, also collected by Captain T. 

 J. Page, U. S. N., at San Jose, Parana, measures only 212 

 nmi. in Imsilar length, but has relatively heavy dentition, the 



27-BiOL. SOC. WASH. VOL. XIV, 1901. (137) 



