MONOGRAPH 



ON 



THE BRITISH MAMMALIA 



OF TU£ 



PLEISTOCENE TEKIOD. 



Order-CARNIVORA. 



Family— FELTDtE. 



Genus — Felis. 

 Species — Felis spelcea, Goldfiiss. 



CHAPTER I. 



lelis spelaa—LovfQY jaw, PI. I, figs. 1, 2, 3 ; PI. VI,^ 1,2. 



A COMPARISON of the jaws of large Feles from the caves and river-deposits, one with 

 the other, and with those of the existing species nearest them in size, shows us most 

 distinctly that, while there are some fossil jaws which, in form and size, are absolutely 

 indistinguishable from those of the lion, others^, which are generally considerably superior 

 to them in some of their dimensions, offer characteristics which appear to prove that 

 they are so closely allied to those of that animal that the differences between them probably 

 do not amount to more than extreme variety, while they essentially depart by the same 

 characters from those of the tiger. 



If a large series of lower jaws of recent lions and tigers be compared together we 

 find that, while the individual differences are great, resulting possibly from difference of sex, 

 food, climate, and the like, there is one test of specific value by which the one can be 

 distinguished from the other. In the lion the inferior border of the ramus bears a slight 



' Unfortunately we have been unable, from want of time, to publish the Plates and descriptions of the 

 bones of Felis spelcea m the order that they should naturally appear. We trust that this may be rectified 

 in future monographs. 



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