PELIS SPEL^A. 



85 



CHAPTER VIII. 



Vertebra, Sternum, Pis. XIV, XV, XVI. 



CONTENTS. 



§ 1. Introduction. 



§ 2. Atlas. 



§ 3. Axis. 



§ 4. Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh 



Cervical Vertebrce. 

 § .1. Dorsal Vertebrce. 



§ 6. Lumbar Vertebrce. 



§ 7. Sacral ,, 



§ 8. Caudal „ 



§ 9. Comparative Measurements. 



§ 10. Literature. 



§ 1 1. Sternum. 



§ 1 . Introduction. — The vertebral column in the genus Felis is tolerably constant as 

 to the number of the vertebrae, except as regards the tail. For the most part the numbers 

 are— cer\ical 7, dorsal 13 (rarely 12), lumbar 7, sacral 3; in the tail the number varies 

 considerably, not only in different species, but also in different individuals of the same 

 species. In the larger old-world forms it generally exceeds 20 ; Cuvieri assigns 26 to the 

 lion, 25 to the tiger, 24 to the panther -. these probably exceed the average. The jaguar 

 has fewer, generally under 20. 



We are fortunately enabled to give figures of the more important vertebrae from the 

 Somerset specimens at Taunton, and have been aided in our examination, and in one 

 instance in completing the figure, by the series of casts from Gailenreuth, which have 

 been presented by Sir Philip G. Egerton, E.R.S. to the Museum of the College of 

 Surgeons and the British Museum. We have found a very close agreement between 



1 < 



Lecons d'Anatomie comparee,' ed. 1835, vol. i, p. 180. 



12 



