208 The Kenfs Hole Machairodus. [April, 



discover}* of the Machairodus remains no fewer than seven 

 distinct times, and states that he found them in a branch of 

 the cavern known as the Wolfs Cave.* 



Of the foregoing statements the following is brieflv the 

 sum : — Mr. MacEnery commenced his systematic researches 

 at the close of 1S25. In January, 1826, he discovered in the 

 Wolf's Cave, teeth of an animal, which he submitted to 

 Dr. Buckland, who, like himself, was ignorant of their true 

 character. Very shortly after their discover}', he gave two 

 of them to Mrs. Cazalet, his friend and co-religionist, t who 

 presented one of them to the Geological Society of London, 

 on the 17th February, 1S26, and the other to Sir W. C. 

 Trevelyan about the end of that month or the beginning of 

 the next. Prior to 14th March, Dr. Buckland, describing 

 the contents of the cavern to Professor Jameson, mentioned 

 the occurrence of " an unknown carnivorous animal at least 

 as large as a tiger, the genus of which had not been deter- 

 mined." Subsequently, Dr. Buckland visited Paris, when 

 he submitted the teeth, or more probably casts of them, to 

 the Baron Cuvier, and on March 14th, 1S26, when writing 

 to Mr. MacEnery from Lyons, he informed him that his 

 " unknown animal " had turned out to be the Ursus cidtridens; 

 adding, and this to one with whose palsentological know- 

 ledge he was well acquainted, that previously it had been 

 found only in the Val d'Arno. 



If the written statements of Mr. MacEnery, Dr. Buckland, 

 and Sir W. C. Trevelyan be insufficient to establish the 

 proposition that Machairodus remains had been found in 

 Kent's Cavern, we may well despair of evidence. Happily, 

 however, the proposition was confirmed on July 29th, 1S72, 

 as has been already stated, when the Committee at present 

 charged with the exploration of the cavern by the British 

 Association discovered another tooth of the same species. 



II. The remains of Machairodus which MacEnery discovered 

 in the Cavern. — Respecting the remains of Machairodus he 

 found in Kent's Hole, MacEnery says " it is scarce, only 

 five teeth having been found." Proceeding to describe one 

 of the teeth, he says, " Its form is semi-lunar, compressed, 

 and tapering to a point like a blade ; and along the course 

 of the enamel, which occupies nearly one-half of its entire 

 length and assumes a fine edge, it is delicately dentated — 

 vide plate F, figs. 1, 2, 3. exhibiting different views of the 

 most perfect tooth. The curved fang was snapped off, and 



* Ibid., pp. 240, 243. 294, 368-70. 371-2. 421, and 456-7. 



t Mr. MacEnery was the Roman Catholic Priest at Torquay. 



