FELIS SPEL.EA. ±55 



X. NOTE ON THE OCCURRENCE OF FELIS SPEL^A 

 IN THE MENDIP CAVERNS AND ELSEWHERE, 

 AND ON A SPECIES OF FELIS FOUND IN ONE 

 OF THE GOWER CAVES. 1 



The late Reverend D. Williams, Rector of Bleadon, is well known 

 for the zeal with which he devoted himself, during many years, to the 

 exploration of the ossiferous caves in the Mendip hills. His large 

 collection of fossil bones was chiefly derived from the caves of Bleadon 

 and Hntton ; but although the origin of most of his specimens was 

 probably readily recognized by himself, he, like many collectors, failed 

 to mark the remains from different localities by distinctive labels ; and 

 when his collection passed into other hands, the precise history of many 

 specimens was lost. Such appears to have been the case with the three 

 carnassial teeth about to be described. They form part of his col- 

 lection in the Taunton Museum, where they were kept together, care- 

 fully attached to a card, and marked numerically, but without any note 

 or memorandum of their exact origin. 



The specimens are three detached upper carnassial molars of the 

 milk set of young animals. Two are of the right side of the jaw, and 

 one of the left. It is evident that two of the three belonged to opposite 

 sides of the same individual, agreeing, as they do, exactly in size, 

 colour, and form, down to the most minute particulars. 



The most perfect specimen, being the right carnassial of the pair, is 

 represented by fig. 11 of PI. XXXV. It is in the most remarkable 

 state of preservation, both as regards the lobes of the crown and the 

 very fragile and attenuated shells of the fangs which are entire to their 

 base. The crown, as compared with the corresponding milk tooth in the 

 young Lion or Tiger, is thinner and more compressed. As is normal 

 in the Felidce, the blade is distinctly trilobed. The anterior lobe, which 

 is low, is deeply bifid, showing two conical and subeqnal tubercles 

 (a, b), separated by a very decided notch. The anterior tubercle 

 (a) is roundish, terminating in an edge which is directed diagonally 

 inwards. The second tubercle (b) forms a sort of obtuse three-sided 

 pyramid, the inner and posterior face of which is elevated by an in- 

 clined step above the inner surface of the middle cusp. It is thus 

 intruded inwards beyond the plane of the latter and of the anterior 

 tubercle, its inner angle forming a sharp curved ridge, and presenting 

 somewhat the appearance of a surface abraded by wear. The middle 

 lobe (c) forms a compressed semi-conical entire cusp, flatfish on the 

 inner side and convex on the outer; its anterior margin is but slightly 

 inclined, straight, and obtuse; the posterior margin is convex in outline, 

 and thinned off to a trenchant edge. This middle cusp, at its base on 

 This paper, on the carnivorous teeth 



from the Mendip caverns, was com- 

 menced by the author on the supposition 

 that the teeth belonged to Machairodus. 



Subsequent examination and compari- 

 son, however, as shown by extracts from 

 his Note-book?, satisfied him that they 

 belonged to Felts sptleea. — [Ed.] 



