586 MERRIAM 



Ret7iarks. — Skulls of Felis hippolestes are not only larger and more 

 massive than those of other members of the group (save olympus) but 

 differ in certain cranial and dental characters. A striking character is 

 the enormous development of the sagittal crest, which in old males is 

 considerably more than half an inch (13 mm. -j- ) in height and strongly 

 arched. In the females it is also well marked though by no means so 

 high. The breadth between the orbits is much greater than in any of 

 the other known forms except Olympics^ which agrees with it in this 

 respect. In adult males of hippolestes the interorbital breadth varies 

 from 47 to 1^0 mm; in adult females from 38 to 41 mm. In Felis 

 aztecus from Mexico, Texas, southern Arizona, and southern Califor- 

 nia, the interorbital region is very much narrower, measuring in adult 

 males fi^om 38 to 41 mm. and in adult females from 34 to 36 mm. 

 Similarly, the breadth across the postorbital processes, though more 

 variable, is much greater in hippolestes^ varying from So to 84 in adult 

 males and from 71 to 76 in adult females. In males of aztecus this 

 breadth varies from 68 to 75 ; in females 65 to 69. The braincase on 

 the other hand is as broad in aztecus as in hippolestes. 



The upper carnassial and the large premolar in front of it are much 

 heavier and broader in hippolestes than in aztecus., while the length 

 of the crowns is about the same in both. The lower molariform teeth 

 are larger throughout in hippolestes., particularly the lower carnassial, 

 which is conspicuously larger and more massive than in aztecus. 



REMARKS ON THE ROOSEVELT SERIES OF SKULLS FROM 



COLORADO. 

 The 13 Cougars or Mountain Lions killed by Mr. Roosevelt near 

 Meeker, Colorado, in January and February 1901, with their accom- 

 panying data as to size, weight, color, and time of breeding, form the 

 most important series thus far recorded and their skulls afford an ex- 

 ceptional opportunity for ascertaining the constancy or inconstancy of 

 particular cranial characters and proportions. The series comprises 3 

 adult males and 9 females of various ages. All were very fat and had 

 been feeding on deer. The males are much larger than the females 

 and have much larger teeth. One male is a giant, and has the largest 

 skull of any Puma I have seen, surpassing even the type specimen of 

 Felis hippolestes from the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming. In 

 the flesh this animal measured 8 feet in total length from nose to tip of 

 tail, and weighed 227 pounds. Among the females was a young of 

 the preceding 3'ear, which had not yet shed its milk teeth, and which 

 was still following its mother. The full data for these specimens, as 

 furnished me by Mr. Roosevelt, are as follows : 



