CAENIVORA. 



341 



depression in the ramus, which in the recent species is nearly flat. 

 In our specimen this depression is as marked as in the tiger and other 

 feline animals. The differences above noted tend to prove that the 

 ancient species was even more powerful and savage than its present 

 representative, the Biju itself, which is by no means deficient in these 

 qualities. The three recent skulls examined on this occasion had all 

 suffered more or less from the violence to which the vigorous self- 

 defence of the animals had obliged their captors to resort. 



Canis Vulpes ? 



The specimen represented in figs. 9 and 10> though fortunate in 

 possessing both lines of molars complete, has suffered much from a 

 crush by which the whole posterior portion of the head has been flat- 

 tened and disfigured. The dimensions selected for comparison in the 

 following table are those least likely to be affected by the accident. 

 Our recent specimen belongs to an adult male fox, of a species common 

 in the NW. provinces of India. Its size, the colour of its fur, and 

 other external characters, appear to correspond with the description of 

 C. Corsac (Pallas), which Cuvier is inclined to identify with C. Bcjirja- 

 Zensz's of Pennant — figured also in ' Hardwicke's Illustrations,' PL II., 

 Parts XV. and XVI. 



taki 



en as 



Length from occipital condyle to anterior of canine 



modulus, and assumed at ..... . 



Breadth measured across mastoid processes 



Least breadth of cranium at the temporal fossae 



Breadth from point to point of styloid processes 



Ditto across occipital condyles ...... 



Ditto of frontal from point to point of post-orljital apophyses 

 Greatest breadth measured externally across both lines of molars 

 Horizontal diameter of occipital foramen .... 



Length occupied by line of molars and canine taken together 

 Ditto ditto molars alone ....... 



Eecent Fossil 



l-OOO 

 •390 

 •205 

 •253 

 •202 

 •287 

 ■338 

 •130 

 •500 

 •410 



rooo 



•433 

 •206 

 •298 

 •251 

 •295 

 •319 

 •133 

 •470 

 •415 



The chief differences here exhibited are those of greater breadth in 

 the posterior portion of the fossil's head, and must, though they appear 

 natural, be liable to the suspicion of having been caused more or less 

 by the crush before alluded to ; but there are some points of dis- 

 similarity which must be considered free from this objection. The 

 transverse occipital ridge is thicker and higher in the fossil ; the post- 

 orbital apophyses are altogether broader and more prominent ; the 

 hollow or depression in their upper siirface, forming a valley between 

 the outer edge of the apophysis and the swell of the frontal ("constituting 

 one of the distinctions between the fox and the other varieties of canis) 

 is in the fossil more marked. From the rear of these apophyses start 

 tw o ridges, which at first converge towards the occiput in a curvilinear 

 direction, until the distance between them is reduced to about half an 

 in ch, after which they run nearly parallel for some distance, and then 

 CO nverge again, till they imite near the occiput and become blended 

 with the parietal crest. We have been particular in describing this 

 formation, as a very similar one was observed by Cuvier in the skul} 



