5 2 Department of Vertebrate Paleontology. 



beasts of prey. It equalled in size the largest Polar Bear, and 

 was probably of the most savage and ferocious disposition, 

 fearing nothing, and accustomed to prey on the largest and 

 best-defended of the great herbivora. It did not indeed equal 

 the modern large cats in activity, but it far surpassed any of 

 them in strength, especially in the fore limbs and neck. The 

 extraordinarily powerful attachments for the sterno-mastoid 

 and cleido-mastoid muscles indicate the tremendous force 

 with which the great seven-inch upper canines could be 

 driven into the flesh of the prey, while the extremely wide 

 gape of the jaw, indicated by the form and arrangement of 

 its muscular attachments, gave free play for these powerful 

 weapon-teeth. 



The relatively small and low hind quarters and short, small 

 tail give the Smilodoti an appearance quite unlike the modern 

 great cats, and the characters of skull and neck vertebrae indi- 

 cate that it carried its head low, and was little able to raise it. 



In Preparation. 



32. Oxyaena lupina. 



33. Platygonus leptorhinus. 



34. Oreodon culbertsoni. 



35. Poebrotherium wilsoni. 



36. Hysenddon horridus. 



37. Cynodictis gregarius. 



38. Dinictis squalidens. 



39. Pantolambda bathmodon. 



40. Hypohippus equinus. 



41. Elephas imperator. 



42. Ornitholestes hermanni. 



