542 LAND MAMMALS IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE 



than ill the fehnes, was yet very much less reduced than in 

 the true fmachairodonts. The skull closely resembled that 

 of '\Dinictis, but the lower jaw was without flanges. The 

 limbs were long and slender and the feet long and digitigrade. 

 The pes had only four digits, of which the median pair was 



Fig. 268. — Skull of false tsabre-tooth (^Nimravus gomphodus) from the John Day. 

 (After Matthew.) p. 4 = fourth upper premolar, sectorial. 



elongated and the lateral pair shortened, so as to produce 

 considerable resemblance to the pes of the dogs, and the claws 

 were partially retractile. The proportions of the body, limbs 

 and feet were suggestively like those of the Cheeta, or Hunt- 

 ing Leopard (Cyncelurus jubatus) of India, the generic name of 

 which means "dog-cat," and it is quite possible that the 



