QUATEENAET FAUNA OF GIBKALTAE. 79 



This identification of the Gibraltar Hycena with H. crocuta is perhaps one of the most 

 interesting results of the exploration, as affording a strong confirmation of the pro- 

 bability that the Cave-Hyena found its way into Europe from Africa, at least in part, 

 by way of Spain, through which country its track may, in fact, almost be followed, since 

 a jaw, pronounced by Dr. Falconer to be that of H. spelcea, is described by Don Casiano 

 de Prado as having been discovered in the Cavern of Pedraza, near Segovia, associated 

 with very ancient objects '. It has also occurred in Sicily ^, where the specimen is 

 described by Dr. Falconer as " certainly not of the Indian Striped Hyena, but of the 

 Hymna crocuta, or Spotted Hyena of the Cape," and at Mentone, where it seems to have 

 been coeval with man. 



It is also of interest here to remark that, so far as is at present known, no fossil 

 remains referrible to H. striata have been discovered in Spain. 1'he most southern 

 known locality for that species appears to be the cavern of Lunel-Viel, in which the 

 H. intermedia of Marcel de Serres undoubtedly represents H. striata. Nor does it seem 

 to have occurred in the fossil state in Italy; so that in the present state of our 

 knowledge it would appear to be not at all improbable that at the time when Europe 

 and Africa were continuous by land the fauna of the latter continent did not include the 

 Striped Hyena, whose centre of distribution, we may conclude, was probably in Asia. 



The only other remains of Hycena are numerous coprolites, to one of which is closely 

 adherent a fragment of the atlas of an Ibex. These objects, of course, show that the 

 animal must have lived at no great distance from the spot at which the remains were 

 entombed. 



V. Felis. 



The fossil remains from the Genista Cave establish by very distinct evidence the 

 existence in the ancient fauna of several species of Felis, varying in size from the 

 Leopard to nearly that of the Wild Cat. 



Of these the largest was a form undistinguishable from the existing F. pakdus, or 

 Panther, of the opposite African coast. 



The specimens referrible to this animal, all of which, it is highly probable, belonged 

 to one and the same individual, are : — 



1. A portion of the left maxilla, containing the alveolus of the outer incisor, the 

 canine broken off recently to the level of the alveolus, the empty alveolus occupied 

 by stalagmite of the first premolar ( pm. 2 ) and the entire second premolar ( pm. 3) . 

 (PI. III. fig. 2.) 



2. The nearly entire right mandible, retaining the canine and three molars (pm. 3, 

 pm. 4, m. 1), all perfect, and the socket of the outer incisor. (PI. III. fig. 1.) 



3. Half the left mandible pairing with the above, although they were found at some 



' Descripcion fisica y geologica do la Provincia de Madrid, 1864, p. 216. 

 ' Falconer, Pal. Mem. ii. p. 465. 



u 2 



