Vol. 5] Bovard. — Quaternary Felidae from California. 159 



is less level than in the tiger and exhibits the same conspicuous 

 depressions represented in Dr. Burmeister's figure of the same 

 part in M. neogaeus." In the California specimen it is evident 

 that the palate is devoid of depressions such as are found in 

 8. neogaeus, but on the other hand is marked by very prominent 

 short ridges. The space included between the lateral ridges is 

 not so rough. The posterior palatine canals are located just 

 laterad of the lateral ridges at about the level of the anterior 

 border of the superior sectorial. 



The fore and aft space of the teeth is shorter than in 8. flori- 

 danus, and the muzzle is shorter. The width is about the same 

 at the canines, while the California specimen is slightly narrower 

 at the sectorials. 



Dentition. — The dental formula of the adult is f, \, f, t- In 

 the collection the entire dentition is represented with the excep- 

 tion of M 1 ; of the milk dentition, the incisors and cheek teeth are 

 present. The dentition shows a relatively high degree of special- 

 ization, indicating that 8. calif ornicus was among the most recent 

 of the saber-tooth cats. 



The superior incisors are lai'ge, gradually increasing in size 

 from the inner to the outer teeth. Each bears at the base on the 

 internal median surface a prominent basal tubercle. 



The lower canines are stout and short and about twice the 

 size of the external incisor. They have a single tubercle on the 

 internal medial surface (pi. 13, fig. 3). 



The superior canines are very long, but do not quite reach 

 the proportions of those in 8. neogaeus or 8. necator. The aver- 

 age length is about 224 mm. Blainville's figure 7 ' of *S'. neogaeus 

 shows that the enamel of the tooth does not cover the exposed 

 portion entirely. Five sabers in our collection show that this 

 was true for the Californian species also. The distal two-fifths 

 of the saber is entirely covered with enamel, the middle fifth has 

 only a narrow strip along the posterior edge, while the remaining 

 two-fifths constitute the root proper. Both edges are sharply 

 serrated. The inner or median surface is flatter than the outer, 

 which is strongly convex. 



s Osteographie des Mammif ers Atlas 2, PI. XX. 



