﻿96 PLEISTOCENE MAMMALIA. 



surface of the centrum. The corresponding vertebrae of the Bear are easily distinguished 

 by the extreme shortness of their centra. This shortness indeed characterises the whole 

 of the chain of vertebrae, except the cervicals. 



§ 7. Sacral vertebra. — Of the three vertebra? of which the sacrum of Fells spelaa 

 was composed, we have only met with the last, and to it a portion of the centrum 

 of the second with its postzygapophyses still adheres. In Felis generally the first sacral 

 vertebra much resembles the seventh lumbar in form, as far as the anterior portion goes, 

 but it is much wider, and the metapophyses are but slightly developed ; the diapophyses 

 are much modified into the large massive anchylosis for the ilium, which extend as high 

 as the prezygapophyses. It is firmly anchylosed to the second vertebra, the diapophysis 

 of this also taking part in the iliac anchylosis. The second resembles the first in general 

 form, but it is much smaller ; the metapophyses and neural spine project above the surface 

 of the neurapophyses, being a continuation of the lumbar series. The third is remarkably 

 like the second sacral, with the exception that the diapophyses altogether disappear, and the 

 postzygapophyses are distinct, as in the lumbars ; very large anapophyses also project 

 backwards and outwards. 



Our specimen, which is that of a young adult animal, is from Sandford Hill Cave, 

 and is in the Taunton Museum ; it is nearly perfect, except the end of the anapophyses 

 and the neural spine. The metapophyses and their relation to the rest of the vertebra 

 and the neural canals on each side of them are clearly seen. We can find no difference 

 between it and that of a Lion. We have given a figure of it in our large plate of the ossa 

 innominata from Sandford Hill Cave, which possibly may have belonged to the same 

 animal. 



§ 8. Caudal vertebra (Pis. XIV, fig. 3 ; XVI, figs. 4 — 8). — We have no means of 

 exactly ascertaining the number of these vertebras in Felis spelaa, but most probably it 

 was the same as in Lion and Tiger, and varied from twenty-three to twenty-five. They 

 are very numerous in the caverns of Somersetshire, which have supplied us with the 

 materials for the following description : 



The five first caudals in the larger Peles closely resemble each other, and to a con- 

 siderable extent the last sacral. In the living animal they are within the body, the 

 remainder of the series being exserted. Their centra are short and concave on the ventral 

 surface, with elliptical section and slightly convex epiphyses. The neurapophyses enclose 

 a neural arch of considerable size, but which diminishes rapidly distally. The meta- 

 pophyses, projecting upwards and proximally beyond the centrum, support well-defined 

 but flat prezygapophyses, locking with the postzygapophyses of the preceding vertebrae, 

 which are also well defined, and project beyond the centrum. Strong, flat anapophyses, 

 somewhat resembling those on the third sacral, extend backwards and slightly down- 

 wards. Those on the second are the largest ; those on the first expand proximally in 



