What big teeth you have Rover

Just back from a very enjoyable viewing of the film Mr Turner I find myself scratching around for something to photograph. For better or worse, and sticking to the art theme, here are drawings of the skulls and teeth of a range of carnivores.

The photograph is a small detail from a very large canvas-backed wall chart. It dates to the early 1900s, from those happy days before Powerpoint presentations existed, and was used to instruct university biology students. They were hung up at the front of a lecture theatre and being of large size were visible at the back of the room. They were a standard teaching aid used by Universities all over the world.

This chart, rescued from a skip in the 1980s, was Published by Remy Perrier & Cepede of Paris. Attached to it there is a small label stating it that it was retailed by a scientific hero of mine, the Frenchman Dr Louis Auzoux.

The skulls include the lion, bear, sabre-toothed tiger, dog, hyaena and mongoose.