XVI. — Anatomical Description of the Fox. 

 By GIDEON MANTELL, Esq., F.G.S., F.R.S., F.L.S. 



J. HE skeleton is attached to the stone by its dextral aspect; the head and neck are slightly ex- 

 tended ; the tail is rather elevated ; and the left fore-leg is placed immediately in front of the right. 

 Although in the drawing a general outline of the skull appears, yet this must not be assumed as 

 exhibiting the true form of the original, since the frontal bone, the zygomatic apophyses, &c., 

 are too much broken to afford any decisive characters ; and the skull being irregularly separated 

 vertically, some parts are attached to the slab of stone here represented, while others are im- 

 bedded in the corresponding portion; the external surface of the skull and jaws is therefore seen 

 but in few places. 



Fig. 1. represents the specimen diminished one half. 



Fig. 2. the skull (seen as in fig. 1.) of the natural size. 



Fig. 3. the corresponding portion of the skull attached to the other slab of limestone. — As the 

 latter contained no other essential parts of the skeleton, it was not considered necessary to re- 

 present the whole. 



Head. — The skull appears to be too deep in proportion to its length, as compared with that 

 of a fox : but this is owing to the displacement of the lower jaw, the right ramus of which (B) is 

 thrown above the left (A). 



Jazos. — A. The left lower jaw ; the fractured surface only appears ; traces of the alveoli of 

 some of the molares are seen at * * * : at A. (fig. 3.) the corresponding part of this bone with the 

 teeth is represented. 



B. The inner surface of the right lower jaw, with the molares ; some of the teeth are broken 

 and displaced ; the canine tooth of this jaw is seen (6) passing under the corresponding tooth of 

 the right upper jaw {b"). 



C. The fractured inner surface of the right upper jaw; portions of the molares (g. g.) and a 

 perfect canine tooth (6") remain. 



D. (fig. 3.) The fractured surface of the left upper jaw, with the canine tooth (b). 



Teeth. — From many of the teeth having suffered fracture and displacement, it is scarcely pos. 

 sible to point out the entire series in the drawing ; but on a careful comparison of the fossil with 

 the skull of a recent adult fox, there appeared no doubt that the dentature of both was the same ; 

 viz. incisors g, canine ^, molar !^^. Total 42. 



In the lower jaw (A. fig. 3.) the following teeth are seen. 



a. one of the incisors. 



b. canine tooth. 



c. d. e.f. four tearing grinders (fausses molaires). 

 g. chewing grinder (faiisse carnassiere). 



h. i. two bruising grinders (fausses tuberculeuses). 



The spicula of bone near the lower jaw, previously mentioned, is shown at k. 



Vertebra:. — As in the fox, there are seven cervical (E. E.), thirteen dorsal (F. F.), seven 



2p2 



