﻿FELIS SPEL^A. 93 



The next eight constitute in Felis the dorsal vertebrae proper or characteristic. 

 The general form is the same throughout. The cylindrical centra, with flat epiphyses, 

 are at right angles to the spinal axis, the parapophysial articulations for the heads of the 

 ribs sit well on the side of the anterior epiphyses. The short, strong, but not over- 

 massive diapophyses with the flat articulations for the tubercles of the ribs and the well- 

 defined metapophyses projecting inwards and upwards from the head of the diapophyses, 

 the flat prezygapophyses but slightly inclined to each other and to the spinal axis, lying on 

 the top of the neurapophyses, and the equally flat post-zygapophyses lying well under the 

 posterior base of the neural spine, and but slightly separated from each other, are charac- 

 ters common to the whole series of these vertebrse. The neural spine is also well deve- 

 loped, but decreases in height and increases in inclination from the third to the tenth, and 

 by this means the vertebra? can be distinguished from each other, as well as by the length 

 of the centra, and also of the neurapophyses where they join the centra, and by the projection 

 of the prezygapophyses in front of the centra ; of these, the first two increase, while the 

 last decreases backwards. Unless we have bones from the same animal, it will be always 

 a matter of doubt whether a given vertebra is, say, the seventh or eighth, or the eighth 

 or ninth ; for these characters vary within small limits in different individuals. The form 

 of the neural spine also varies, but it is generally more or less sigmoid in outline, though 

 often nearly straight. 



In comparing these vertebrae with those of the Bear, the latter are much shorter, and 

 somewhat deeper, the zygapophyses are wider apart, and the diapophyses longer, and the 

 metapophyses in general less developed. The anterior base of the neural spine is flatter, 

 and the inclination of the spine is generally greater, but the latter appears to be variable 

 in the Bear. 



Of this part of the vertebral column of Felis spelaa we have only two vertebrae, both 

 from Bleadon. One of them is sufficiently perfect to figure (PI. XVI, fig. 1, 1'). It con- 

 sists of the centrum with the neurapophyses, and a portion of the neural spine, the zygapo- 

 physes, and the left diapophysis, of which the metapophysis is broken. It agrees closely 

 in all respects with the seventh dorsal of the Lion, except that the inclination of the spine 

 is about that of an average specimen of the eighth. The last character, however, being 

 variable, we consider it a seventh dorsal. The other is a good deal rubbed and broken, 

 and both diapophyses are gone, but in other respects it is much in the same condition as 

 the last. As the neurapophyses are slightly longer, we consider it to be an eighth. Both 

 specimens much exceed those of an ordinary Lion in size. 



Of the third form of the dorsal vertebrae, the eleventh, we have a single specimen, 

 nearly perfect, from Bleadon (PI. XVI, fig. 2, 2', 2", 2"). This is the vertebra 

 to which the neural spines of the lumbar and dorsal vertebrse converge, and by 

 some is called the last true dorsal. It is distinguished by the extreme shortness of the 

 neural spine, by the great backward projection of the post-zygapophyses, by the length of 

 the centrum, by the great size of the metapophyses, which project backwards so as to 



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