214 GENERAL CHARACTER OF THE FAUNA. 



of the river drift gravels on the one hand, and the present 

 time on the other, we cannot forget that the immense period 

 which has elapsed since the end of the tertiary period has 

 produced great changes in the fauna of Europe. In this post- 

 tertiary era the Pile-works occupy, so to say, the middle posi- 

 tion. Distinguished from the present fauna of Switzerland 

 by the possession of the urus, the bison, the elk, the stag, and 

 the wild boar, as well as by the more general distribution of 

 the beaver, the bear, the ibex, etc., their fauna differs from 

 that of the drift gravels in the absence of the mammoth, the 

 rhinoceros, the musk ox, the cave hyaena, and the reindeer. 



Prof. Riitirneyer thinks that from similar considerations 

 alone, even if we had no other evidence, we might carry this 

 division farther ; and if we take the settlements at Moossee- 

 dorf, Wauwyl, Robenhausen, and Mdau, which have been the 

 most carefully studied in this respect, it certainly appears 

 that the three former, which belong to the Stone Age, offer a 

 marked contrast to the latter, which is the locality whence 

 the largest number of bronze objects has as yet been obtained. 

 It is of course unnecessary to point out the interest and 

 importance of such a distinction, which accords so well with 

 that indicated by the study of the weapons and the state of 

 preservation of the piles. Thus, the urus has only occurred at 

 Moosseedorf, Wauwyl, Eobenhausen, Wangen, and Concise ; 

 the aurochs only at Moosseedorf, Wauwyl, and Robenhausen ; 

 the bear only at Moosseedorf, Wauwyl, Robenhauseu, Wangen, 

 and Concise. A glance at the table given at page 203 will 

 show that several other species have as yet only occurred 

 at Moosseedorf and Robenhausen; a fact, however, which 

 indicates, perhaps, rather the richness than the antiquity of 

 these localities. Possibly we may consider the presence of 

 these larger species as an indication of their greater abundance 

 in the oldest period ; but we must not forget that not only 

 the bear and the elk, but also the aurochs and the urus appear 



