456 FELIS. 



the inner side, contracts into a narrow band which slopes inwards, 

 terminating in a middle fang which diverges inwards. The sloping 

 basal surface is the obsolete representative of the inner tubercle of the 

 upper carnassial in the Felidce, which is well developed in the Tiger 

 and Lion, but greatly reduced in the Drepanodons. This rudimentary- 

 tubercle and diverging fang are given off from the middle of the blade 

 in a line with the apex of the central cusp, proving the tooth to have 

 belonged to the milk set. In the adult carnassial tooth of the Felidce 

 generally, the inner tubercle is thrown out much further forward, and 

 opposite the sinus between the anterior and middle lobes with which 

 it alternates. 



Extracts from Dr. F.'s Note-books. 



British Museum, October 2, 1858. — Received from the Eev. William 

 Arthur Jones the three carnassier teeth from Taunton. Compared 

 them at the British Museum with the cast of Bravard's Felis Megan- 

 tereon (Much air od.) ; with an original carnassier of Smilodov, be- 

 longing to the defective side of De Blainville's skull; and with the 

 young Machairodus of the Sewalik hills, noticed in Owen's ' Brit. 

 Foss. Mam.,' p. 178, also with a young Felis spelcea, having milk 

 dentition, from Kent's Hole. 



In the Sewalik specimen the carnassier (right upper) is formed with 

 a very thin blade. The anterior lobe is damaged, but judging from 

 what remains, it would seem to have been two-lobed, as in the Taunton 

 specimen. The middle cusp is thinner, but pointed and formed like 

 the English specimen. But neither the anterior lobe nor the middle 

 one bears the slightest indication of bearing an internal tubercle. If 

 ever there, it is gone. Owen describes it as being there, ' but less 

 developed than in the normal species of Felidce.'' The posterior lobe 

 is nearly horizontal, and very trenchant ; in fact, the tooth is com- 

 pressed and sharp-edged. All the points rise. 



Length of crown, -75 in. 



There is an interval between the carnassier and canine of 03 in., 

 part of which has been artificially rubbed down, but there is not the 

 least indication of a fang-pit or fang. (Owen says there is, and that it 

 is single-fanged and simple !) There is a distinct show of the fang — 

 two, fore, and aft — of a tubercular in a line with the sectorial behind 

 it. The breadth of the canine at its base is 05. It is very compressed. 

 The posterior concave edge is finely serrulated ; the anterior is entire. 

 Owen says that both edges are distinctly serrated. 1 



In Bravard's cast of Megantereon (No. 28,882) there is a trilobed 

 premolar on the left side. The carnassial has the anterior lobe entire, 

 as in the true Felidce, and not bilobed. It is thicker than in the Sewalik 

 or English form. The middle cusp is rather thick and short, as in the 

 Cave Lion, and the posterior cusp is horizontal and bilobed externally. 

 But the principal point to notice is, that the internal tubercle is given 

 off at 3 lines from the anterior margin, and about 8 lines from the 

 posterior, or at the anterior fourth nearly of the tooth. 



Length of carnassier, M in. Breadth of canine, *75 in. Ditto in Lovell Phillips' 

 English specimen, 2 1-11 in. 



1 See vol. i. p. 550, and Plate xxv. fig. 5.— [Ed.] 



2 See p. 461.— [Ed.] 



