6 FELIDiE. 



from the upper front edge of the maxillae. This is not altogether 

 peculiar to the Lynxes, the same structure being found in a Cat 

 which has been called F. marmorata ; and the process of the inter- 

 maxillary, often very long, reaches up one-third tlie length of the 

 side margin of the nasal in some of the larger Leopards. But the 

 lateral process of the frontal not being so long in F. marmorata as 

 in the Lynxes, the two processes do not unite and separate the nasal 

 bone from the maxilla as is found in aU the species of the genus 

 Lyncus. 



The skulls of the species of true Cats are so similar and uniform 

 in their structure that they present very few tangible characters 

 for the separation of the species into groups. In looking at a small 

 series of skulls it is easy to perceive that some are remarkable for 

 having a broad rather lengthened nose and moderate-sized orbits, 

 and others a narrow short nose, pinched up behind, and above with 

 a more or less distinct concavity on the sides in front of the orbits, 

 and the orbits generally large. The former structure is confined 

 to the skulls of the larger species, as the Lion, Tiger, Leopard, 

 Ounce ; and the second is more marked in the small kinds. If 

 a larger series of skulls is examined, the two forms gradually pass 

 into each other, and it is found that the intermediate gradations of 

 fonn occur in the skulls of some of the species that are intermediate 

 in size between the two extremes ; while some of the skulls of the 

 middle-sized species retain the characters of the larger broad-nosed 

 species. 



In some species, while the skulls of the adult animals are similar 

 to those of the larger broad-nosed group, the skulls of the younger 

 or half-grown specimens have the sides of the nose more or less con- 

 cave and narrower behind, like those of the second group. 



The skuU of a Chinese Leopard, presented by Dr. Lockhart, from 

 Pekin, presents one of those anomalies in dentition which now and 

 then occur in most families of MammaHa. It has a small subeylin- 

 drical short tubercular grinder behind the flesh-tooth on one side of 

 the lower jaw, and none on the other, thus having on one side the 

 formula of dentition that is peculiar to the genus C'anis. But no 

 one could make a mistake as to what it is, as the teeth are all 

 those of the Cats (Felidce). 



The skulls of species of FeJis which have the same system of 

 colouring are not always alike : thus the skulls of Felis uncia, F. 

 marmorata, and F. macrocelis, of Felis vivenimi; F. hengalensis, and 

 F. nepalensis, and of F. pardina and F. macroura are very different 

 in form and structure. On the other hand, the skulls of the Lion, 

 the Tiger, the Leopard, and the Jaguar are nearly similar in form 

 and teeth, and chiefly to be distinguished by their size and other 

 slight characters. 



Keyserling and Blasius have pointed out the differences in the 

 skulls of the Wild Cat and the Lynx of Europe. The characters 

 mentioned are common to most of the species of the genera Fdis 

 and Lyncus ; hwt Felis marmorata has a skull like that of the 

 Lynxes ; and the Chans group, which have the pencilled ears of 



