450 Thorpe — Some Tertiary Carnivora in 



Felid, gen. et sp. indet. 



Another specimen, Cat. No. 12839, Y. P. M., is that of 

 an undoubted felid, bnt whether a member of the 

 MacJicerodus or Felis line is not determined. As cat 

 material from this horizon is so very scanty, in fact, 

 largely unknown, it will not be out of place to give a 

 brief description of certain bones of this skeleton. No 

 skull is present, but several vertebrae, part of the pelvis, 

 ribs, and the major part of the left femur are extant. It 

 was discovered in 1914 by Professor Lull and collected by 

 him, with the assistance of F. W. Darby, 5 miles east of 

 Valentine, Nebraska. For comparison, an average-sized 

 skeleton (Cat. No. 01050, Y. P.M.) of a male Felis leo 

 was used. The geologic horizon is either Upper Miocene 

 or possibly Lower Pliocene, as the specimen was found at 

 approximately the same level as a 4-tusked mastodon, 

 genus not yet determined, collected by the same party. 

 The fossil skeleton, in the anterior portion of its anatomy, 

 is apparently lighter than the lion, but in the posterior 

 region it is fully as heavy, or possibly a little stouter and 

 more robust. 



The transverse processes of the atlas are slightly 

 thicker, of less width, but greater posterior extent; the 

 width of the dorsal surface is considerably greater ; and 

 the posterior opening of the passage for the vertebral 

 artery is absolutely smaller than in the lion. The hypa- 

 pophysial tubercle is apparently reduced, while the neural 

 spine is veYy rudimentary. The alar canal is bridged 

 over, and is not in the form of a notch as in Felis leo. 



Measurements of Atlas. 



Cat. No. 12839 Cat. No. 01050 



Y. P. M. Y. P. M. 



mm. mm. 



Max. width across wings 132 137.5 



Ant. -post, diameter across articular sur- 

 faces 59 64 



Ant.-post. diameter of neural arch, dorsal 

 side 43 29 



Ant.-post. diameter of neural arch, ven- 

 tral side 17 24 



