﻿FELIS SPEL^EA. 



19 



The three specimens measured formed part of the collection of Mr. Beard, and are 

 now at Taunton. There is a good rough figure of the distal articulation of this bone in 

 Schmerling (' Oss. foss. de Liege/ t. ii, pi. xvii, fig. 6). 



Mesocuneiform, fig. 6. 



This small bone has the proximal and distal articulations slightly inclined to each 

 other, and wider apart internally than externally. The proximal or navicular articula- 

 tion is roughly oval, but slightly pointed anteriorly, and is slightly concave transversely 

 and convex vertically, while the metatarsal or distal is wider anteriorly than posteriorly, 

 and is very slightly concave vertically. 



The inclination of the articulations one to the other, and other minute points in the form 

 of the bone, appear to differ in different individuals of lion and tiger; consequently the slight 

 difference we observe between the only specimen we know of this bone in Felis spelaa 

 and the above two animals is probably not of specific value. Generally speaking, however, 

 it appears to be a shorter and thicker bone altogether in the fossil than in either of the 

 recent large species. 



It may be easily distinguished from the corresponding bone in the bear by the greater 

 squareness and angularity of the anterior or upper face of the bone in that animal, as con- 

 trasted with the rounded and oval form in Felis spelaa. 



Both distal and proximal articulations in the bear are also much more concave, and the 

 articulation for the endocuneiform is well developed, whereas scarcely a trace of it exists in 

 Felis spelaa. 



Measurements. 





Felis spelaa, 

 Bleadon, Taunton Col. 



Lion. 



Tiger. 



Br. Mus. 

 112 L. 



Col. 

 Surg. 



Br. Mus. 

 114 L. 



Col. 



Surg. 



1 



2 

 3 

 4 

 5 

 6 



0-55 

 2-90 

 0-54 

 091 

 0-50 

 102 



0-39 

 2-10 

 0-40 

 0-66 

 0-46 

 072 



0-35 

 1-89 

 0-35 

 070 

 0-42 

 0-65 



0-61 

 2-00 

 0-43 

 0-68 

 054 

 0-69 



0-51 

 2-40 

 0-42 

 0'68 

 0-52 

 079 



The specimen figured is from Bleadon, and probably belonged to the same individual 

 as the astragalus, calcaneum, naviculare, and cuboid, which we have figured. It is at 

 Taunton. We know of no other figure of this bone. 



