294 



Univemity of California Publications. 



[Geology 



The widening of the muzzle is probably not due to vertical 

 compression; on the contrary the position of the nasal bones 

 indicates a slight lateral flattening. 



In its superior outlines the skull approaches the lion more 

 closely than the tiger. The planes of the frontal and nasal re- 

 gions seem to have been nearly identical, and the angle which 

 the nasal region makes with the superior line of the sagittal 

 crest is smaller than in the tiger or in the puma. A considerable 

 portion of the frontal region has been crushed and corroded, but 

 as nearly as can be determined, it was originally nearly flat, 

 rather than convex as in the tiger. 



The sagittal crest shows about the same degree of develop- 

 ment as in the African lion, and the superior line of the crest 

 is nearly straight as in that form. 



The l ira in case is somewhat smaller than in either the lion 

 or the tiger. 



In the facial region, the anterior narial opening as nearly 

 as can lie determined is not materially different from that of 

 the African lion. The form and relations of the nasal elements 

 posteriorly can unfortunately not be seen, owing to corrosion of 

 the skull at this point. The frontal process of the left maxillary, 

 which is well preserved, is rather broadly truncated posteriorly,, 

 which probably indicates that the terminations of the nasals, 

 frontals and maxillaries in this region had much the same ar- 

 rangement "as in the tiger. 



The occiput shows a rather marked narrowing immediately 

 above the mastoid region, due in a large measure to the reduction 

 of the lambdoidal ridges on each side just above the level of the 

 upper side of the foramen magnum. The middle region of the 

 occiput is marked by a sharper ridge than the corresponding 

 median elevation of this region in the lion. In the tiger this 

 region is generally more evenly rounded than in the lion. 



The region of the basioccipital (fig. 1) is flatter in the space 

 between the auditory bullae than in the lion, and on both sides 

 the greatly roughened area for the attachment of the longus 

 capitis is situated nearer the posterior lacerated foramen than in 

 the lion or tiger. The median tubercle for attachment of the 

 constrictor pharyngis superior, which sometimes appears on the 



