1918] Stock: The Pleistocene Fauna of Hawver Cave 



485 



two specimens from Hawver Cave. The medial and posterior faces 

 of the cave metapodials are less curved longitudinally than in the 

 Recent form. 



In end view the lateral border of the proximal articulating surface 

 is concave as in the puma, while in FeUs atrox and in F. leo this 

 border tends to straighten. In F. atrox the lateral surface of meta- 

 tarsal 2 reaches its smallest anteroposterior extent well below the 

 middle of the metapodial. In the second metatarsals from Hawver 

 Cave as well as in those of the Recent California puma the antero- 

 posterior diameter rapidly diminishes below the proximal end and 

 for the greater part of the shaft remains the same. Felis leo in this 

 respect is more like F. atrox. In the cave specimens and in those 

 of F. o. oregonensis the lateral and posterior faces below the proximal 

 end form an acute angle ; in other words, the posterior lateral angle 

 is well defined. In F. leo and particularly in F. atrox there is a 

 more gradual rounding from lateral to posterior face without forma- 

 tion of a distinct angle between them. The anterior lateral facet 

 articulating with metatarsal 3 is more deeply depressed distally than 

 is the corresponding facet of F. atrox. In proportion to metatarsal 3 

 the second metatarsal, no. 11019, is relatively long as contrasted with 

 the corresponding element in the Recent F. o. oregonensis. There is, 

 however, no direct evidence that the two cave metapodials thus com- 

 pared, belong to the same individual. Two individuals of somewhat 

 different sizes may account for the relatively great length of meta- 

 tarsal 2 in contrast to that of metatarsal 3. 



Two specimens of metatarsal 3 are available. No. 19925 (fig. 6) 

 and no. 19922 resemble very closely in size and shape the correspond- 

 ing element in the Rancho La Brea puma. They are but slightly more 

 slender than the metapodials from the asphalt beds. In no. 19922 

 from Hawver Cave the posterior lateral facet articulating with meta- 

 tarsal 4 reaches the proximal articulating surface, thus indicating 

 that the remoteness of this facet from the proximal face is not a 

 reliable character distinguishing the puma from Felis leo and F. atrox. 



In the fourth metatarsal, no. 19923, the proximal articulating 

 face, as in corresponding metapodials of F. o. oregonensis, slopes 

 anteriorly and laterally. In Felis atrox and in F. leo this surface 

 slopes anteriorly and medially. The anterior medial articulating 

 face for metatarsal 3 is directed more anteriorly and less to the medial 

 side, thus differing from F. atrox and F. leo and resembling rather 

 the Recent puma. 



