﻿130 PLEISTOCENE MAMMALIA. 



§ 1 y. Definition from that of Ursus. — The scaphoido-lunare of the Bear may be 

 distinguished at a glance from that of Felis spelcea, the tubercle being much larger, 

 cylindrical and projecting directly backwards, and the articulation for the magnum being 

 parallel to the side of the bone instead of running diagonally across it, as in the latter 

 animal. 



§ 2. Pisiform (figs. 3, 4), a. Description. — The pisiform of Felis spelaa strongly 

 resembles in plan that of all the other Eeles we have examined, those of the different 

 species being only distinguishable by their size. Even in the same species it presents 

 small variations of shape and proportion. It may be considered, generally speaking, as a long 

 three-sided pyramid, bevelled off proximally and distally for articulation, with the cunei- 

 form and the styloid process of the ulna, the apex swelling into a tuberosity (figs. 3, 4, b), 

 for the attachments of the tendon of the ulnaris muscle, of those for the bending of the 

 fifth digit, of the common flexor of all the digits, and of the transverse adductor of the 

 first. It is firmly attached to its fellow carpals, to the metacarpals, and forearm, by a 

 large number of ligaments, and thus it forms a powerful point d'appui for the motions of 

 the fore foot, analogous to the shaft of the calcaneum in the hind foot. The articulations 

 may be distinguished as the proximal or ulnar (fig. 4, a), which is known by its semi- 

 lunar form, and the distal or cuneiform, which presents the plan of a rectangular parallelo- 

 gram with rounded angles (fig. 3, c). Both are nearly flat, and unite in a sharp and 

 nearly straight edge. 



It may be known from the corresponding bone of the Bear by the possession of the 

 following points : — By its greater length, by the flatness of the ulnar articulation as con- 

 trasted with the concavity of that of the Bear, and by the straightness of the edge separating 

 the articulations, which is concave in the latter. 



We have met with several specimens from the caves of Bleadon and Sandford 

 Hill, some of which are but little larger than the living Lion and Tiger, while others 

 (see fig. 4) are much larger than those of any of the living Feles. The original of 

 fig. 4 probably belonged to the same skeleton as the large scaphoido-lunare figured in the 

 same plate. 



§ 2 (3. Measurements. — The variations in the size of the pisiform in Felis spelcea, 

 F. leo, and F. tigris are shown in the following table : — 



