FELIS PARDOIDES. 169 



CA RNI VORA . FELIDjE. 



Fig. 66. 



Left lower sectorial tooth of Felts pardoides : a, view from the inside ; 6, view from 

 the outside. Red Crag. 



FELIS PARDOIDES. Owen. 



THE discovery of the fossil indicative of the present 

 species is due to Mr. Wm. Colchester of Ipswich, who 

 pointed out to Mr. Lyell, in June 1839, in his collection of 

 fossil teeth from the Red Crag of Newbourn near Wood- 

 bridge, one tooth which differed greatly from the rest, and 

 which they both suspected to belong to a carnivorous 

 Mammal. The tooth being submitted to my inspection, I 

 found, on comparison, that it agreed in size and shape with 

 the posterior or sectorial molar of the left side of the lower 

 jaw of the Leopard (Felis leopardus^ Linn.) ; affording, if 

 not proof of specific identity, which, from the close corre- 

 spondence in every character, save ^size, that pervades the 

 dental formula of the different species of Fells, cannot be 

 affirmed on the evidence of a single tooth, at least sufficient 

 indication that a feline animal as large as a Leopard 

 existed at the geological epoch indicated by the forma- 

 tion in which it was found. The tooth in question (fig. 

 66), is imperfect : the enamelled crown is preserved, but 

 the base has lost the fangs, and has the appearance of 

 having been worn and polished after the fangs had been 

 broken short off. The, two compressed pointed lobes of the 

 crown are more nearly equal in size than in the Felis pardus. 



