THE CAT AS A TYPE OF THE MAMMALS. 221 



Looking at the teeth in one side of a jaw (Fig. 236) we see 

 that there are four kinds, i.e., the front teeth or incisors, 

 the large flesh teeth or canines, the front molars or pre. 

 molars, and the back teeth or molars; the premolars and 

 molars have two roots or fangs, and the upper largest molar 

 has three fangs. It will be seen that the incisors are 

 adapted to cut into the flesh; the canines serve to retain 

 the prey in the mouth, while the premolars and molars 



Fio. 227.— Skeleton of European Wildcat. 



with their sharp cusps, like the teeth of a saw, serve to cut 

 the food which is swallowed in large pieces. 



The skeleton of the cat (Pig. 227) differs in two impor- 

 tant respects from that of reptiles and birds. The skull 

 has two occipital condyles instead of one, and the lower jaw 

 is directly connected with the skull. It will also be seen 

 that the brain-cavity is much larger in proportion to the 

 rest of the skull than in birds; the brain itself, particularly 

 the hemispheres (Fig. 230), being very much larger, the 

 latter forming the bulk of the brain. 



Other differences between birds and cats (and all other 



