The natural history of animals containing the anatomical description of several creatures dissected, by the Royal academy of sciences at Paris ... / Done into English by a fellow of the Royal society [Alexander Pitfield] ; to which is added an account of the Measure of a degree of a great circle of the earth, published by the members of the same Academy : English'd by R.W. [i.e. Richard Waller].

  • Académie des sciences (France)
Date:
1702
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The natural history of animals containing the anatomical description of several creatures dissected, by the Royal academy of sciences at Paris ... / Done into English by a fellow of the Royal society [Alexander Pitfield] ; to which is added an account of the Measure of a degree of a great circle of the earth, published by the members of the same Academy : English'd by R.W. [i.e. Richard Waller]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    it+ - - ■ . vh-— : t * pT-1 » 1 ■» ji 1 ' / /> 1 . f • » c\(^ f r r • ^ 9 THE ANATOMICAL DESCRIPTION 0 F A LYON BEfore the opening of our Lion, we carefully examined all its external Parts, according to the Method which we propofcd to our felves, to oblerve in all the Defcriptions of the other Animals. We found that the greatnefs of the Head, which is remarkable in this Animal, confided chiefly in the extraordinary abundance of the Flefh which covered it, and in the greatnefs of the Bones which compofe the Jaws. That the Breafl likewife, which appeared large, was only by reafon of the long and thick Hair which incompaffed it, the Sternum being comprefled, and much more pointed, than it is in moll Horfes and Dogs : And that by the fame reafon, the XW/feemed not to be of equal thicknefs from one end to the other; but by reafon of the inequality of the Hair wherewith it was invironed, which was fhorter to¬ wards the beginning, where the Flefh and Bones are thicker, and which grew longer as thefe parts grow lefTer and lefler, towards the end. And that this long Hair which is about the Neck and Bread:, did differ from that of the reft of the Body only in its length, having nothing refembling Man’s Hair. The Claws had no cafes, as Pliny reports they have, to keep them from be¬ ing dulled by their walking ; but it appears rather, that thefe Animals, as Plutarch and Solinus obferve, do provide for that by retracting them between their Toes, by the means of the particular Articulation of the laft Joynt, which was fuch, that the laft Bone fave one, by bending it felf outwards, gives place to the laft which is articulated to it, and to which the Claw is faftened to bend it felf upwards and fide-ways, more eafily than downwards; being drawn upwards by the means of a tendinous Ligament, which faftens together the two laft Bones in their fuperiour and external, part only; and which fuffering a violent diftention when the Toe is bent inwards, extends tills laft Articulation, as foon as the Mufculi flexores come to flacken, ^tnd {Lengthens the Action of the Mufculi xetenfores: So that the Bone which is at the end of every Toe, being almoft continually bent upward,, it is not the end of the Toes which refts upon the ground, but the Node of the Articulati- on of the two laft Bones; and thus in walking, the Claws remain elevated, and retracted between the Toe, to witt, all thofe of the right Paws, towards the right fide of every Toe, and all thofe of the left Pa ws, towards the left A ; ^ fide \