V 



TO FELID-E. 



of the animal than that of the herbivorous tribe*, ii more easily 

 reduced into the state which ii required for the nouriahment of the 

 body in the former than in the latter cue. In the Cuntiroro, the 

 stomach, which U of a cylindrical form, hai no cul-de-sacs; the 

 oxophagus open* at iU anterior extremity, and the intestine com- 

 mences from the posterior, so that everything favours a quick passage 

 of the food, which receives no mastication, and is retained a very 

 abort time in the stomach. The intestine has no valves, is small in 

 diameter, but muscular, and the whole canal, when compared with 

 the body, is extremely abort, being as 3 or 5 to 1. It is worth 

 noticing, that in the Domestic Cat they are as 5 to 1 , but in the 

 Wild Cat they are only as 3 to 1. Some of the 6'arni'rora have no 

 csBcum, and in those that have this appendage it is constantly small 

 and uniform in its cavity. In the Museum of the College of Surgeons 

 are four preparations, Number* 693 to 696 (Gallery), both inclusive, 

 bowing the structure of the intestines of a lion. No. 724 shows the 

 termination of the ileum of a lion, with the caecum or caput coli 

 injected. The caecum is simple, resembling that of the Suricate 

 (Rytma Utradadyla of linger), with its apex similarly occupied by a 

 duster of glands ; the terminal orifice of the ileum is also of a 

 circular form, but it is situated on a valvular prominence in the large 

 intestine. No. 730 is the injected colon of a lion. The longitudinal 

 muscular fibres are very strong, and are disposed around the whole 

 circumference of the intestine, which consequently is not drawn up 

 into sacculi. The lining membrane is smooth, and is thrown into 

 zig-zag rugae. No. 736 is a portion of the rectum of a lioness, 

 showing the strong round fasciculi of longitudinal fibres forming the 

 outer stratum of the muscular coat, part of which has been turned 

 down to show the inner circular fibres. The intestinal glands of the 

 ileum in the lion are shown by No. 757. No. 806 shows the liver of 

 the Domestic Cat, and its subdivision, as in all carnivorous quadrupeds, 

 into a great number of lobes. The second lobe from the left side, or 

 cystic lobe, is deeply cleft for the insertion of the suspensory ligament ; 

 to the right of this cleft it is perforated for the lodgement of the 

 gall-bladder. No. 807 is the cystic lobe of the same species, showing 

 that the gall-bladder is situated in the middle of the substance of 

 the large lobe. (' Catalogue, Gallery, Phye. Series,' vol. i.) Blumen- 

 bach remarks that the ductus choledochus forms a pouch between the 

 coats of the intestine for receiving the pancreatic duct in the Cat. 

 No. 821 in the Museum of the College of Surgeons displays a portion 

 of the duodenum, with the termination of the hepatic and pancreatic 

 ducts of a lion. A black bristle is passed into the ductus communis 

 choledochus, and a white one into the pancreatic duct ; the mucous 

 coat of the intestine is laid open to show their junction. The orifice 

 of a distinct pancreatic duct is preserved. No. 837 is the spleen, 

 with a portion of the duodenum and pancreas of a domestic cat. 

 The spleen is of an elongated trihedral form, attached to the stomach 

 by a duplicature of peritoneum inclosing its vessels ; this duplicature 

 pssiei off from the angle formed by the two lesser sides. The splenic 

 vein is seen passing from the spleen along the pancreas, which extends 

 from it to the duodenum. No. 840 exhibits the stomach and duo- 

 denum, spleen, pancreas, and great omentum of a small carnivorous 

 animal, apparently of a oat The parts have been injected, and show 

 remarkably well the principal peculiarities in the form and disposition 

 of these parts a* they exist in the feline tribe. A part of the oeso- 

 phagus has been inverted, to show the transverse rugae of its lining 

 membrane, near its termination. The stomach exhibits the broad 

 dilated cardiac and the narrow tubular pyloric divisions, which are 

 acutely bent upon each other ; in the duodenum may be observed its 

 regular extended curve, .and its broad mesentery, by which much 

 greater freedom of motion is allowed to this portion of the intestinal 

 canal than in the human subject. The small omentum is Been 

 attached, not in a regular line along the lesser arch of the stomach, 

 but advancing in an irregular scolloped manner upon its anterior 

 surface ; an analogous process of peritoneum is attached posterior to 

 the loner curvature. The great omentum anteriorly is continued 

 from the greater arch of the stomach, from the left end of which it 

 i* continued down the spleen, and posteriorly along the pancreas, 

 which is thus seen to have an entire investment of peritoneum ; from 

 the pancreas it extends to the pylorus, where it becomes continuous 

 with the anterior layer, completing the circle, and leaving a largo 

 aperture behind the leaser arch of the stomach, which leads into the 

 omenUl cavity analogous to the foramen WinslowL The form of 

 the pancreas and iU division into the transverse or greater lobe and 

 the circular or duodenal lobe are well shown, and also the form 

 and situation of the spleen. ('Catalogue, Gallery, Phys. Series,' 

 vol i.) 



The terrific roar with which the larger animals of this family rush 

 on their prey is well known, and well calculated to paralyse the 

 nervous system of the victim with fear. Stealing on the victim with 

 noiseless tread till couched within the proper distance for their spring, 

 these destroyers leap on it with a horrid sound which salutes iU ear 

 in the same moment almost that it feels the blow of the deadly talons 

 and the murderous gripe of the teeth. The cartilages of the larynx 

 of a lion, the large sise of the vocal organ, and the rounded contour 

 of the epiglottis may be seen in preparation No. 1172 (Gallery) of 

 the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeon*. From the narrowness 

 of the thyroid cartilage anteriorly, there hi a considerable interval at 



TfELWJE. TM 



^ , 



that part between the thyroid and cricoid cartilages, a structure which, , 

 as the ' Catalogue ' tells us, obtains in all the feline animals. No. 

 1 129 consists of the heart and lung* of a kitten, and shows principally 

 the subdivision of the lungs into many lobes, and more especially 

 the small azygoa lobe of the right lung, filling up the space whi.-ii 

 intervenes between the heart and diaphragm in this and most other 

 quadruped*. Vioq-D'Azyr and Blumenbach notice the two delicate 

 membranes lying under the ligaments glottidis of the cat, which 

 probably cause the purring noise peculiar to it 



" The structure of the kidney in Mammalia," observes Mr. Lawrence, 

 in his note* to Blumenbach's ' Comparative Anatomy,' "displays two 

 very opposite varieties, which may be called the simple and the 

 conglomerated kidneys. In the former there i* a single papilla, 

 which is surrounded by an exterior crust of the cortical substance. 

 This is the case in all the Para, and in some other animals, as many 

 Jtodentia." " In some animals," says John Hunter, " the kidney is a 

 very oblong body, extending in length for a considerable way, and 

 very narrow, as in some fish, while in other animals it is almost 

 globular, as in the leopard. ... In the lion kind, cat kind, as also 

 in the hyaena, we find that perhaps one-half of the veins get on the 

 external surface, and are either strongly attached to or pass in n 

 doubling of the capsule of the kidney, and then pass along like the 

 veins of the pia mater, afterwards joining the trunks from the inside 

 just as they pass out. . . . The veins of the kidneys have in 

 general nothing particular respecting them. They in common nttrn<! 

 the arteries, or at least ramify similarly to the arteries, excepting in 

 the lion and cat kind, as also in the hyaena, where some of the veins 

 ramify on the surface, while the others are attending the arteries." 

 The reader will find in the Museum of the College of Surgeons some 

 beautiful preparations illustrative of the kidney*, ftc,, of the /We/,, 

 they are numbered 1200 to 1205 both inclusive, 1218 to 1221 both 

 inclusive, and 1284. (Gallery.) 



Blumenbach observes that in some species of the Cat kind the 

 glans is covered with retroverted papilla:, which, as these animals 

 have no vesiculic seminales, may enable the male to hold the female 

 longer in his embraces. Most of the Cats are retromingeut, but not, 

 as has been eo often and erroneously repeated from the time of 

 Aristotle, retrocopulaut. 



Urnin, Nervous System, and Senses. Blumenbach observes that 

 the bony tentorium cerebelli constitutes in most species of the Cat 

 kind a uniform bony partition which leaves a quadrangular opening 

 in the lower part of the cranium. In the cat the brain forms fa of 

 the bodyj the proportion of the weight of the cerebellum to the 

 cerebrum is as 1 to 6, and the breadth of the medulla oblongafci 

 the pons Varolii is to that of the brain as 8 to 22. In the Museum of 

 the Koyal College of Surgeons, No. 1324 (Gallery), is the brain of a 

 tiger. The pia mater has been removed from the medulla oblongnta, 

 showing the transverse tract of medullary matter posterior to the 

 tuber annulare, called corpus trapezoideum ; this is traversed by the 

 corpora pyramidalia. The development of the cerebrum is such as 

 not only to cover the optic lobes or bigeminal bodies, but also the 

 anterior half of the cerebellum itself; and the surface of the cerebrum 

 is augmented by convolutions, of which one is analogous to the single 

 convolution in the agouti, and extends parallel with the fissure 

 dividing the hemispheres ; a second runs parallel with and external to 

 the preceding ; a transverse one proceeding from the mesial fissure 

 mark* off what may bo regarded as the anterior lobes, which, together 

 with the lateral regions of the hemispheres, are traversed by other 

 anfractuosities. No. 1325 is the brain of a lion, closely resembling the 

 preceding in general form and disposition of the convolutions. No. 

 1326 is the brain and port of the spinal chord of a young lion, with 

 the vessels of the pia mater minutely injected. The left lateral 

 ventricle is exposed, showing the pes hippocampi and the choroid 

 plexus. The fourth ventricle is also laid open, and contains a similar 

 plexus of minute arteries. Bristles are inserted into the hollow olfac- 

 tory and the optic nerves, and black threads are tied round the origins 

 of the remaining cerebral nerves of the right aide. A small quill U 

 placed in the infundibulum ; but the pituitary gland, which may be 

 seen in both the preceding specimens, is here removed. The union of 

 the vertebral arteries to form the basilar artery, the great length of 

 that vessel, and its division to join with the internal carotids in the 

 formation of the circle of Willis, are well displayed. No. 1326 U a 

 portion of the basis of the brain of a lion, prepared to show the 

 form and relative proportions of the bigeminal bodies or optic tubercles ; 

 of these, the posterior, though smaller in longitudinal diameter, are 

 broader, and rise above the level of the anterior pair. No. 1372 and 

 No. 1873 are two highly interesting preparation* of the spinal chord 

 and cauda equina of the lion. ('Catalogue,' vol. iii.) 



Blumenbach enumerates the Cat kind among the animal* remarkable 

 for their acutenes* in the sense of smelling, and a* affording examples 

 of a very complicated formation of the ethmoid bone, both in regard 

 to the elegant structure of its cribriform lamella, and to the wonderful 

 convolutions of its turbinated portions, which procure as large a 

 surface as possible within the confined space of the nasal cavity, for 

 the application of the Schneiderian membrane. The conchas narium 

 inferiores are also much convoluted. There is in the Museum of the 

 College of Surgeons (Gallery) a preparation (No. 1552) of a longitu- 

 dinal vertical section of the head of a leopard, showing the turbinated 



