222 The Kent's Hole Machairodus. [April, 



No part of the skeleton of Machairodus neogaeus differs so 

 much as the head from the corresponding part in the ex- 

 isting Felidcz. The neck has a length of 15*25 inches. The 

 atlas is shorter and a little broader, but not stronger, than 

 that of the tiger ; and is much inferior to that of Felis spelcza. 

 Its form approaches that of the hyaena. The dorsal vertebrae 

 are fourteen in number, the lumbar six, and the pelvic three. 

 The tail is entirely wanting, but there are indications that 

 it was smaller than in the existing large Felidce, and probably 

 not larger than that of the lynx. 



The breast-bone and ribs are perfectly like those in the 

 genus Felis. The former consists of nine pieces of bone, 

 with a tenth, or terminal one, of cartilage. There are 

 fourteen pairs of ribs, the first being 6*3 inches long, almost 

 everywhere equally broad, and a little compressed ; the 

 second is thinner, and the succeeding ones get much thinner 

 upward, thicker below, and teminate in a knob-like swelling. 

 They increase in length to the seventh, which, like the 

 three following it, is 11*4 inches long; after this they 

 decrease to the fourteenth, which, like the first, measures 

 6'3 inches. How many of them were false has not been 

 ascertained. 



The bones of the extremities, taken singly, closely resemble 

 those of the Felidce, but when united it is seen that the fore- 

 arm and lower leg are short in proportion to the upper arm 

 and thigh. This will be clearly apparent in the following 

 table, where the lengths are given in inches : — 



F. tigris. F.domestica. 

 9-84 3-42 



1270 4'oi 



11-02 3*94 



iro2 3*54 



4-25 1*27 



1270 4-33 



276 079 



14-17 4-72 



12*70 4*72 



4*13 1*22 



4-96 1-97 



Whilst the lower bones of the fore-limbs are thus com- 

 paratively short, they are much stouter than those of the 

 existing Felidce. The bones of the lion, the most robust 

 of the genus, scarcely reaches them. 



It is clear that an animal like Machairodus, possessing 

 such capacities for securing its prey, required very powerful 





Mach. neo. 



reus spelc 



Scapula . . . 



I2'99 



(?) 



Humerus . . 



14-96 



14-96 



Radius . . . 



. I0-63 



1378 



Manus . . 



IC63 



(?) 



Metacarp. med. 



3*54 



5"39 



Pelvis . . . 



1378 



(?) 



Sacrum . . . 



. 4-29 



5 - °4 



Femur . . 



. 14-96 



16-85 



Tibia .... 



. 9-84 



(?) 



Calcaneum . . 



• 4'33 



5'33 



Metatars. med. 



■ 3*94 



5'55 



