These would appear clumsy Indeed in ordinary chewing, or tearing 

 of food and it has been urged that it could u<>t have opened its 

 mouth wide enough to admit a large piece of flesh, 



A careful study of the anatomy of the skull of this animal, made 

 first by Dr. W. I). .Matthews of the American Museum, concluded 

 thai these teeth were used as stabbing organs, and this view is 

 readily suggested by every skull in the collections made. The coronoid 

 piocess is bo small as to be almost wanting, which fact in connec- 

 tion with a shallow glenoid fossa, gives great freedom of motion to 

 the mandibles. This freedom of motion may have allowed the lower 

 jaw to drop down ami liack against the neck, while the sabers were 

 being used for stabbing in the powerful downward stroke of the 

 load. Figure 5. Judging from the spaces about the skull for muscles 

 and muscular attachment, this animal must have had a powerful neck 

 and could have sunk the sabers to their full depth of six inches into 

 the flesh of any animal. With these considerations it is not diffi- 

 cult to see how a capture of prey might have been made. With 

 a single leap this tiger could he upon the back of the largest masto- 

 don, and, holding on securely by the great claws, could sink the 

 sabers, and with a backward rip cause a long gaping wound which 

 would supply a copious flow of blood. Then closing the mouth, the 

 blood could be drunk or lapped at will. 



Surrounded with such great beasts as the mastodon, elephant, 

 giant ground sloth, etc., such feasts could be common, to say nothing 

 of the great amount of flesh thus made ready for other animals. 



Little wonder then, that when one of these huge beasts sought 

 a drink in the tar beds, and his feet became fastened in the sticky 

 mass, that he was an easy prey for one of the fierce tigers. Among 

 the methods of capture of the cat tribe, one especially is of interest 

 here. It is the habit of animals to grab for the throat of its victim, 

 ami by tenaciously holding on, strangle its prey, but this hold could 

 not be readily obtained by the saber-tooth, and though obtained, it 

 would not be secure when attempting to use the sabers, hence another 

 habit of leaping upon the back of its victim was employed. 



The claws were greatly developed, even beyond that of the lion 

 ami these rendered his position very secure. 



The above facts prove beyond doubt that this tiger was the 

 king of beasts in its day, and was the terror and deadly foe of all 

 in all places. Surely no other combination of structure for strength, 

 specialization for deadly work, and development for dealing effective 

 blows has ever been grouped in a single animal. 



With one blow of its massive paw it could crush any ordinary 

 foe; with a single leap it could be upon the back of the largest 

 beast, or away from its fleetest assailant; in the struggle for mastery 

 over food it could hold at bay any intruder, and drink at will of the 

 Imt blood, which flowed after a single stroke of its immense sabers. 



liven in view of these facts it must not be taken for granted 

 that these tigers held their proud supremacy without challenge, for the 

 proof is quite to the contrary. neither was war waged only between 

 the tigers and other animals. It was among themselves that the last 

 battles were fought and the last duel finished, with death both to 

 the victor and the vanquished. 



In these beds are found a number of skulls having either one 

 or both tusks broken away completely, or in part, and the stubs show 

 signs of much wear. In one instance the jaws of one tiger were 

 firmly fixed in the mouth of another, with the teeth broken at the 

 point of contact, as though both clung to the last, even in the throes 



:-!! 



