TEETH OF MAMMALIA. 34 1 



sharp, and are evidently adapted for seizing and holding their 

 prey, and afterwards tearing in pieces the flesh and other soft 

 parts of the animals. The conical and very slightly-curved 

 form of these teeth, united with their sharpness and strength, is 

 the best that can be imagined for effecting this object. The 



Tentition of Cat. 



cheek-teeth have for the most part only cutting edges, and 

 those of the lower jaw shut within the upper, passing them so 

 closely as to form an accurate instrument either for shearing off 

 pieces from the flesh, or for subdividing the portions which have 

 been torn by the canine teeth. On each of them are sharp 

 triangular processes, which greatly facilitate the entrance of the 

 tooth into the flesh. The range of these teeth is short, as is 

 also the whole jaw, by which great power is gained in this par- 

 ticular direction. The articulation of the lower jaw is also cir- 

 cumscribed to a perpendicular motion, the only one which the 

 structure of the teeth would permit; and the masticatory muscles 

 are of enormous size and strength, particularly in the hysena, to 

 enable these ignoble violators of the grave to crush the bone and 

 cartilages which form a considerable part of their bill-of-fare. 



The animals of the bear tribe on the other hand, whose diet 

 is chiefly of a vegetable nature, have an elongated jaw, canine 

 teeth very large and strong, yet less so than in the cats, and 

 molar teeth the surfaces of which instead of being raised into 

 cutting edges are depressed, tuberculated, and require a certain 

 degree of lateral motion in the jaw to bring them into action. 



In the seals a very different structure of the teeth is observed. 

 The canines are not particularly large and prominent, as there 

 are no hard substances to be cut or broken, and the molar 



