UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PUBLICATIONS 



BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 



GEOLOGY 



Vol. 5, No. 20, pp. 291-304, PI. 26 ANDREW C. LAWSON, Editor 



THE SKULL AND DENTITION 



OF 



AN EXTINCT CAT 



CLOSELY ALLIED TO 



EE LIS ATROX LEIDY 



BY 



J OHM 0. MEERIAM. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 



Introduction 291 



History of type specimen of Felis atrox 292 



Occurrence and age of Eancbo La Brea specimen 293 



Skull 293 



Dentition 298 



Diagnostic characters of Felis atrox, variety bebbi 301 



Affinities 302 



INTRODUCTION. 



Iii December, 1908, Dr. William Bebb of Los Angeles ob- 

 tained from the asphalt beds at Rancho La Brea, near Los 

 Angeles, a feline skull of extraordinary size, and specifically 

 unlike the cranial parts of any form thus far described from 

 this continent. Dr. Bebb very generously permitted me to make 

 a study of this remarkable specimen, for which my sincere thanks 

 are due him. The skull has recently been presented by Dr. Bebb 

 to the palaeontological museum of the University of California, 

 and lias been placed on exhibition. 



