FELIS CRISTATA. 319 



portion of the orbit is less curved. The separate halves of 

 the bone are convex across, leaving a deep longitudinal hol- 

 low between. 



The parietals are longer than in the Tiger. They are sunk 

 towards their commissure, giving greater appearance of 

 saliency to the sagittal crest. They bulge out at their junc- 

 tion with the temporals in conjunction with these bones. 

 The sagittal crest, as noticed above, from its great promi- 

 nence, is one of the most distinctive characters about the 

 fossil. It is nearly twice as much raised as in the largest- 

 sized Tiger. Its anterior extremity for a short way divides 

 into two, from running in continuity with the post-orbital 

 ridges of the frontal. 



The occipital is large in all its dimensions. It greatly 

 exceeds that of the Tiger of the same size in height, and 

 equals that of the large Tiger, ISTo. 2. Its margins expand 

 greatly laterally, in conjunction with the ridge ascending 

 from the petrous portion of the temporal bones. 



The tem,poral on the right side is mostly concealed by stony 

 matrix. On the left it is broken at the zygomatic process. 

 The petrous portion is comparatively larger than in the Tiger. 

 The zygomatic arch is elevated and its lower margin is 

 arched more decidedly than in the Tiger. (In this respect 

 it resembles the ' Black Jaguar.") The posterior angle is 

 more acute. 



The corresponding process of the malar differs chiefly from 

 that of the Tiger in the post-orbital apophyses being blunt 

 and very slightly prominent. 



The nasal bones are considerably shorter than in the 

 Tiger, and they taper less upwards towards their frontal 

 insertion. 



The maxillaries chiefly differ from those of the Tiger, in 

 their greater prominence along the alveoli of the canines, 

 and the more decided hollow which occupies the infra-orbital 

 region. From the elevated direction of the zygomatic arches, 

 the posterior margin of the maxillaries descending from the 

 malars is higher than in the Tiger. The infra-orbital fora- 

 mina agree in form and position with those of the Tiger. 



The ascending apophysis of the incisive bones runs higher 

 up between the nasals and maxillaries, giving thus a stronger 

 insertion to the bone. 



We do not observe any very appreciable difference in the 

 palate, except that the bulge of the canines, and the inward 

 direction of the large false molars, appear to contract it in 

 width between these teeth. 



' Oss. Foss., vol. iv. Plate xxsiv. fig. 7. 



