MACHAIRODUS. 181 



ward curvature of the full-grown teeth enabled them to 

 retain, like barbs, the prey whose quivering flesh they pene- 

 trated. Three of these canine teeth, of one of which a side- 

 view, and a view looking upon the concave edge, (fig. 69,) 

 are subjoined, were discovered by the Rev. Mr. Mac Enery 

 in Kent's Hole, Torquay, and were recognized by Dr. Buck- 

 land as bearing a close resemblance to the canines of the 

 Ursus cultridens of the Val d'Arno. Professor Nesti, to 

 whom Dr. Buckland transmitted casts of these teeth, re- 

 cognized the same resemblance, but noticed their pro- 

 portionally greater breadth. The cast of one of the largest 

 of the canines of the Machairodus cultridens from the 

 Val d'Arno, presented to me by Mr. Pentland, measures 

 eight inches and a half in length along the anterior curve, 

 and one inch and a half in breadth at the base of the crown. 

 The largest of the canines of the Machairodus from Kent's 

 Hole measures six inches along the anterior curve, and one 

 inch two lines across the base of the crown : the English 

 specimens are also thinner or more compressed in pro- 

 portion to their breadth, especially at the anterior part 

 of the crown a c, which is sharper than in the Mach. cultri- 



These differences are so constant and well-marked as to 

 establish the specific distinctness of the large British sabre- 

 toothed Feline animal ; for which, therefore, I propose 

 the name of Machairodus latidens . the more important 

 and prominent characters of the canine teeth, which this 

 species has in common with the Mach. cultridens and Mach. 

 megantereon, as well as with that from the Sewalik tertiary 

 sand, fully justifying their separation from the typical 

 Felida, in which family they form a well-marked and most 

 interesting subgenus ; and, to this, Dr. Kaup's name of 

 Machairodus, although proposed under another view of 



