12 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
(Anosteira, Trionyx) and terrestrial (Stylemys, Testudo) turtles, lizards 
(Peltosaurus), snakes (Ogmophis), and crocodiles (Crocodilus). The 
presence of an opossum (Didelphys) is indicated by teeth. The other 
mammals are included in a long list of ungulates, rodents and carni- 
vores to which a brief reference only will be made. Among the 
artiodactyls are anthracotheres (Ancodus, Anthracotherium), giant 
pigs (Elotherium), forest-living oreodonts (Agriochærus, Merycoidodon), 
camelids (Poébrotherium), and primitive deer (Leptomeryx, Hypertra- 
gulus). The peryssodactyls or odd-toed, hoofed ungulates consist of 
swift, light-limbed, three-toed horses (Mesohippus), slender-limbed, 
cursorial rhinoceroses (Hyracodon), true rhinoceroses (Aceratherium, 
Leptaceratherium) and titanotheres (Megacerops) which with some of 
the horses and rhinoceroses belong to very primitive species. The 
Ancylopods, supposed to be aberrant perissodactyls, are represented by 
Chalicotherium bilobatum of Cope founded on somewhat fragmentary 
material. The rodents are primitive, squirrel-like animals (Ischyromys, 
Cylindrodon), ground squirrels (Eutypomys), and hares (Palæolagus). 
The Carnivora are archaic flesh-eaters or creodonts (Hyænodon, Hemip- 
salodon) of which, one, Hemipsalodon grandis, attained a large size and 
was evidently, judging from the size of its jaw and canine teeth, a very 
powerful animal. The true Carnivora are represented by canids 
(Cynodictis, Daphænus) and sabre-tooth cats (Dinictis). 
This in brief is the fauna of the Oligocene of the Cypress hills as it 
is at present known to us, it is of lower Oligocene age and is similar to 
that of the Titanotherium beds of Nebraska, Montana and South 
Dakota. 
The Oligocene deposits of the Cypress hills, which form the upper- 
most beds of a plateau of some extent, consist principally of beds of 
conglomerate or loose pebbles, and of sandstone, sands, clays and marls. 
The pebbles are the result of a strong flow of water from the west and 
the finer material indicates deposition in quieter currents or in back 
water and overflow areas. The conglomerate of this restricted area has 
protected it from the denudation to which the surrounding country, 
devoid of a resistive capping, has been subjected, so that what was 
primarily a river bed has been transformed into a plateau of considera- 
ble elevation. 
Mention may here be made of the Tertiary bird Cyphornis magnus 
which Cope described from a tarsometatarsus obtained by Dr. G. M. 
Dawson at Carmanah point, Vancouver island, from rocks which are 
thought to be not older than Eocene nor later than Oligocene. This 
fossil bird, the earliest one from this country, was referred tentatively 
to the order Steganopodes by Cope who considered that it may have 
been a bird of flight larger than any hitherto known. 
