6 TBS ROYAL TIGBM OF BENGAL. 



planted in deep sockets in the jaws, and consist of 

 dentine, enamel, and erusta petrosa. They have 

 special forms, entirely adapted for flesh-eating. In 

 each jaw there are six incisors, the outermost 

 resembling a small canine tooth, and two long and 

 powerful canine or holding teeth or laniaries ; these, 

 which are enormously developed, are the formid- 

 able fangs, and are pointed, recurved, convex, and 

 grooved in front, and sharp-edged behind. The 

 lower canines are rather smaller than, and pass in 

 front of, the upper when the mouth is closed. The 

 molars, or cheek teeth, are eight in number in the 

 upper jaw, the first being only rudimentary, and has 

 no corresponding tooth in the lower jaw. There are 

 six in the lower jaw. The second tooth in both 

 upper and lower jaw has a conical crown and two 

 roots. The third upper tooth has a cutting crown 

 with three pointed lobes and a flat inner side, against 

 which the cutting teeth in the lower jaw works 

 obliquely. There is a small tubercular tooth behind 

 and on the inner side of the upper tooth. These 

 tuberculated cutting teeth are called sectorial, " dents 

 carnassieres " of Cuvier. They are seen in their most 

 characteristic form in the tiger. 

 The formula is — 



3"3 1"1 3'3 1*1 



Incisors — - ; Canines — ; Premolars ; — ; Molars — 30. 

 o'o 1"1 2i' 2i I'i 



The purpose of these teeth is obvious. ■ The small 

 incisors are used to gnaw the soft ends of bones, and 

 to scrape off fibrous and tendinous structures. The 



