﻿FELIS PAROUS. 



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CHAPTER XX. 



Family— FELIDtE. 



Genus — Felis. 



Species — Felis (leopardus) pardus, Linnaus. 



PI. XXIV. 



§ I. Introduction. 



§ 2. Comparison of fossil remains with most 

 closely allied living forms. 



§ 3. Associated animals in Great Britain. 

 § 4. Range of F. pardus. 



§ 1. Introduction. The former existence of one of the larger felines closely allied 

 to the Panther or Leopard on the mainland of Europe was first established by the disco- 

 very of remains in the Caves of Cette in the South of France, and of Gailenreuth in 

 Bavaria, which were described by Baron Cuvier under the name of Felis antiqua} and 

 the specific identity of this animal with the living Panther was the opinion of our great 

 palaeontologist Dr. Falconer. 2 Subsequently the animal has been identified by M. Lartet 3 

 among the remains from the cavern of Mars in the Maritime Alps, and by Professor 

 Gervais from the cave of Mialet (Gard.). 4 Since then it had a place in the Pleistocene 

 Fauna of Europe ; it was reasonable to suppose that it also inhabited Britain during 

 the time that our island formed part of the continent, and supported the Hippopotamus, 

 the Lion, and the Hyaena, which at the present day are to be found side by side 

 with the Panther, south of the Sahara desert. The first evidence of the animal 

 having lived in Britain was offered by a canine (PL XXIV, fig. 4) from the bone cave 

 at Banwell, in the Collection of the Earl of Enniskillen, F.R.S. ; and subsequently 

 we were able to assign to it the following remains from the caves of the Mendip Hills : 

 two canines (PI. XXIV, figs. 1, 2) obtained by the Rev. J. Williams from either Bleadon 

 or Hutton Caves ; and an ulna, femur (fig. 5), two metatarsals, and an upper milk canine 

 from Bleadon Cave in the Collection of Mr. Beard. All the remains with the ex- 



1 ' Oss. Foss.,' 1825, vol. iv, p. 193, pi, xv, fig. 7 ; and p. 452, pi. xxxvi, figs. 4, 5. 

 "Dr. Falconer stated this to me in one of the many conversations on fossil bones which will ever 

 remain in my memory." — W. Boyd Dawkins. 



' An. des Sc. Naturelles,' 5 e serie, torn, viii ; 'Deux Tetes de Carnassiers Fossiles.' 

 4 ' Animaux Vertebres Vivaux et Fossiles,' 4 to, 1867-9, p. 68, pi. xv. 



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