6 



Proceedings of the Royal Irhh Academy. 



lower carnassial. in one case, only measured 5|- mill, in length 

 (N.H. 102).^ 



When we compare the table containing the measurements of the 

 Domestic Cat with those of the African Wild Cat, which is often 

 referred to as the Caller or Egyptian Cat, the most striking differences 

 in size will be noticed in the lower carnassial tooth. The cave 

 specimens of cats whose lower carnassial did not exceed 8 m.m. 

 in width were placed among the Domestic Cats. Specimens in 

 which the lower carnassial measured m.m. and more in length, 

 must be looked upon as belonging to the larger African Cat. This 

 slight difference in size may seem a trivial character; but the jaws, 

 with a carnassial of Si m.m. and more, were indistinguishable from 

 those of the African Wild Cat. The recent cat jaws from southern 

 Europe and Africa, which belong to our own Museum, and those which 

 I measured in the British Museum, were undoubtedly those of Wild 

 Cats of the same species. I have indicated the sizes of their carnassial 

 teeth and some other measurements, which seemed to me useful for 

 comparison. 



The shape of the lower carnassial tooth m the genus Felis is 

 subject to slight variation, and the jaws of the various species are 

 recognised principally by the size of that tooth. As the African 

 Wild Cat has a slightly larger lower carnassial than tlie Domestic 

 Cat, so in the Serval Cat, the Lynx, the Panther, and finally in 

 the Lion and Tiger, the same tooth assumes gradually larger and 

 larger dimensions, though retaining a very similar shape. From 

 the presence in the upper layers in some of the Irish caves of cat 

 remains with large lower carnassial teeth, we can conclude therefore 

 that a Wild Cat inhabited Ireland at the time when these deposits 

 were laid down. That these are quite recent is proved by the fact 

 that they contain human remains as well as those of various species of 

 domestic animals. 



It will be noticed from the table of measurements that I liave 

 included two instances of the supposed fossil occurrence in England 

 of the European Wild Cat, under the heading of the African Cat. 

 These are two well-known jaws of cats, one of which is in the British 

 Museum, and the other in the Oxford Museum, both of them having 

 been discovered in Kent's Hole, near Torquay. The first of these, 

 which has been figured by Dr. Hamilton (p. 7, fig. 2), was referred 

 to as the European Wild Cat {^Felis catus) by Owen (p. 173) in his 



1 This indicates the Dublin Museum register number of the specimen. 



