148 



in detecting it in every instance but one. This w'as in an adult Asiatic 

 Leopard, in which the nail was evident althougli extremely small. It 

 was short and straight, and perfectly conical, \vitha broad base. It is 

 stated in a note in the ' Edinburgh Philosophical Journal,* that a clavv or 

 prickle liad also beenobserved by the editorof that vvork on thetailofa 

 Leopard. Nosuch stiucture washowever detected on a livingindividual 

 in the Society's Menagerie. In the Leopard, therefore, as in the Lion, 

 it appears to be only occasionally present. I n both it is seated at the 

 extreme tip of the tail, and is altogether unconnected with the termi- 

 nai caudal vertehra. From the narrowness and shape of its base, the 

 circumference of vvhich is by far too small to allow of its being fitted 

 likę a cap upon the end of the tail, it appears vather to be inserted 

 into the skin, likę the bulb of a bristle or vibrissa, than to adhere to 

 it by the margin as described by M. Deshayes. Neither the pub- 

 lished observations of that zoologist nor the present discovery, can 

 throvv any light on the existence or structure of the supposed glan- 

 dular follicle noticed by Blumenbach. 



Mr. Woods concluded his communication by remarking, that it 

 is difficult to conjecture for vvhat purpose these minute claws are 

 developed in so strange a situation, that of stimulating the animals 

 to anger being of course out of the question. It is at ieast evident, 

 he observes, that they can fulfil no very important design in the 

 animal oeconomy, from tiieir smallness, their variable form, theircom- 

 plete envelopement in the fur, and especially from the readiness with 

 which they are detached and consequently the majority of individuals 

 deprived of them for the remainder of their lives. 



