from the Red Crag of Suffolk. ^f 



Crag at Felixstowe, in Suffolk. The specimen presents that pe- 

 culiar gloss on the surface and mineralized appearance which is 

 characteristic of dental remains from this deposit. In addition 

 to these circumstances, portions of the shelly matrix still adhere 

 between the two fangs of the tooth ; so that there can be no 

 doubt as regards its claims to belong to the same deposit which 

 has furnished the remains of the Felis pardoides, Mastodon an- 

 gustidens, &c. The author has submitted the tooth to Dr. Fal- 

 coner, who " infers it to be an upper third premolar of a species 

 of Hysenoid animal, and probably Hyaena," and " would approxi- 

 mate it to a species of the subgenus Crocotta, which includes H. 

 spelaa and H. crocuta. The fossil does not appear to belong to 

 the Miocene H. Hipparonum of the Vaucluse, which is imper- 

 fectly known. Fossil Hyaenas are got in the Val d'Arno (Mio- 

 cene), which are not yet sufficiently made out. The above 

 opinion is expressed with the reserve dictated by the very limited 

 amount of the evidence — a solitary premolar." 



The characters of the subgenus Crocotta of Kaup are the 

 presence of spots instead of stripes on the skin, and the absence 

 of a mane and anal pouches, which are possessed by the type of 

 the other genus, Hycena striata. The dental characters, however, 

 form the most important distinction. In both types the formula 



is, i. ^, c. i^, j9m. ^, m. ^. The molar tooth is very small in 



H. striata, presents a narrow oblong surface, and is inserted by 

 two fangs. In H. crocuta or Crocotta maculata the molar is 

 quite rudimentary, and has a circular conical crown. In H. 

 spelaa it is even still smaller, and is inserted by a single process. 

 The fourth premolar of the lower jaw further distinguishes the 

 two subgenera — in H. striata a very prominent tubercle being 

 persistently developed, which is absent in H. crocuta and H. 

 spelaa. With regard to the third premolar of the upper jaw, 

 which more immediately relates to the fossil under description, 

 in H. striata the central cusp of the tooth (Pl.VIII. fig. 4) is less 

 produced and less cylindrical than in H. crocuta or H. spelaa, 

 the " cingulum " is not appreciably developed, whilst an anterior 

 and posterior tubercle are very prominent. In H. crocuta and 

 H. spelaa, the " cingulum " is invariably strongly marked, and 

 is developed posteriorly so as to form an elongated ascending 

 ridge, which is not, however, comparable to the tubercles in H. 

 striata. It is not difficult thus to separate into subgenera the 

 living and Pleistocene species ; but when we go further back in 

 time, and examine the species of older deposits, the distinctions 

 fail, and a combination of characters is found which renders it 

 impossible to place the Miocene and older Pliocene species of 

 Hyana in either subgenus. In fact this is what would be anti- 



