1 873 -J The Kent's Hole Machairodus. 219 



most important parts of the construction. This paper was 

 " specially printed from the treatises of the Natural History 

 Society at Halle," and is accompanied by a figure, from a 

 photograph of the skeleton as it now stands in the Museum, 

 which shows its excellent preservation. We propose incor- 

 porating a very condensed summary of Dr. Burmeister's 

 paper, of which, so far as we are aware, no notice has ap- 

 peared in British journals, for though the skeleton is not that 

 of Machairodus latidens, it is beyond all comparison the most 

 perfect specimen of the genus which has been found, and 

 cannot fail to throw considerable light on his British 

 relative. 



The country between the small towns of Lujan and 

 Meroedes forms an oval trough, running from S.W. to N.E., 

 in the midst of which is the little river on which both towns 

 are situated. It is peculiarly rich in well-preserved skele- 

 tons of gigantic animals, most of which are on the level of 

 the water, or a little above it. 



As the species is the same as that found in Brazil by 

 Dr. Lund, who, apparently not aware of the researches of 

 Dr. Kaup, described it under the name of Hycena neogaea, 

 in 1839, or six years before Dr. Muniz described his specimen 

 as Munifelis bonaerensis, Dr. Burmeister has done the 

 former an act of justice by acknowledging the priority 

 of his specific name, and calling the creature Machcerodus 

 neogaeus. 



Everything about the body resembles that of the Felidce, 

 and but for the skull and teeth no one would be able to dis- 

 tinguish it from that genus. Notwithstanding the great size 

 of its tusks, the animal did not reach the size of the existing 

 lion or tiger, and the cave-lion (Fells spelceaj was consider- 

 ably larger. 



The following measurements show that relatively to the 

 length of the body, exclusive of the tail, its skull was shorter 

 than that of either the lion or tiger : — 



Skull. Body. Ratio of Skull to Body. 



Lion .... 12*5 in. 66 in. 189 : 1000 

 Tiger . . . ir6 in. 60 in. 194 : 1000 

 Mach. neo. . . 13*0 in. 72 in. 186 : 1000 



Though, as shown above, the skull is actually longer, it is 

 much smaller than that of the tiger. In the enormous 

 development of the crista occipitalis it resembles the hyaena. 

 The face is of great breadth, which is probably due to the 

 astonishing size of the upper tusks, and the long oval form 

 of the relatively small eye orbits. 



