490 CARNIVORES. 



is succeeded by the second premolar (analogous to the fourth in the 

 Dog), has a smaller proportional anterior lobe and a larger posterior 

 talon, which is usually notched ; thereby approaching the form of the 

 permanent lower sectorial tooth' in the Mustelidce. We thus per- 

 ceive that even the fierce Feline Carnivora recede in a slight degree, 

 as they advance to maturity, from the more common type of the 

 dentition of their order, by the suppression of a few characters re- 

 tained in other genera ; whereby they acquire a more decidedly des- 

 tructive and carnivorous dentition, which more strongly marks their 

 own peculiar predatory characters. 



A single glance at the long and strong, sub-compressed, tren- 

 chant and sharp-pointed canines, closely interlocking, the lower in 

 front of the upper, when the jaws are clenched, suffices to appreciate 

 their peculiar adaptation to seize, to hold, to slay and lacerate a 

 struggling prey. The jaws are strong, but shorter than in other 

 Carnivora and with a concomitant paucity of the molar teeth : thus 

 the canines are brought nearer to the insertion of the very powerful 

 temporal and masseter muscles, which work them with proportionally 

 greater force. The use of the small incisor teeth is obvious to any one 

 watching a captive Lion or Tiger at its meals : they are apphed to 

 gnaw the soft cartilaginous ends of the bones, and to tear and scrape 

 off the tendinous insertions of the muscles and the periosteum. The 

 compressed trenchant blades of the sectorial teeth play vertically 

 upon each other like the blades of scissors ; and the form of the 

 mandibular articulation almost limits the movements of the jaws to 

 the vertical direction. The wide and deep zygomatic arches, and the 

 high sagittal and occipital crests concur in completing the destruc- 

 tive character of the cranium of these most formidable of the Car- 

 nivora. 



183. Machairodus(l) . — This generic name was given by Dr. Kaup 

 to the extinct animal which was armed with canine teeth, like that 

 figured in pi. 127, figs. 6816. Such teeth, long, compressed, fal- 

 ciform, sharp-pointed and with anterior and posterior finely-ser- 



race, in which the first deciduous molar has the usual form and number of fangs, as in 

 our own Wild Cat (Felis Catus.) 



(1) From [laxaipa a sabre, and oSig a tooth. 



