CHAP. XVII.] 
MAMMALIA. 
193 
of Madagascar and the Antilles — universally ; ranging from the 
torrid zone to the Arctic regions and the Straits of Magellan. 
They are so uniform in their organization that many naturalists 
group them all under one genus, Felis ; but it is now more 
usual to class at least the lynxes as a separate genus, while the 
hunting leopard, or cheetah, forms another. Dr. J. E. Gray 
divides these again, and makes 17 generic groups; but as this 
subdivision is not generally adopted, and does not bring out any 
special features of geographical distribution, I shall not further 
notice it. 
The genus Felis (56 species) has the same general range 
as the whole family, except that it does not go so far north ; 
the Amoor river in Eastern Asia, and 55° N. Lat. in America, 
marking its limits. Lyncus (10 species) is a more northern 
group, ranging to the polar regions in Europe and Asia, and to 
Lat. 66° 1ST. in America, but not going further south than 
Northern Mexico and the European shores of the Mediterranean, 
except the caracal, which may be another genus, and which ex- 
tends to Central India, Persia, North Africa and even the Cape 
of Good Hope. The lynxes are thus almost wholly peculiar to 
the Nearctic and Pakearctic regions. Cyncelurus (1 species) the 
hunting leopard, ranges from Southern and Western India through 
Persia, Syria, Northern and Central Africa, to the Cape of Good 
Hope. 
Extinct Felidce . — More than twenty extinct species of true 
Felidm have been described, ranging in time from the epoch of 
prehistoric man back to the Miocene or even the Eocene period. 
They occur in the south of England, in Central and South Europe, 
in North-West India, in Nebraska in North America, and in the 
caves of Brazil. Most of them are referred to the genus Felis , 
and closely resemble the existing lions, tigers, and other large 
cats. Another group however forms the genus Machairodns, a 
highly specialized form with serrated teeth. Five species have 
been described from Europe, Northern India, and both North and 
South America; and it is remarkable that they exhibit at least 
as wide a range, both in space and time, as the more numerous 
species referred to Felis. One of them undoubtedly coexisted 
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