326 HISTORICAL PALAAONTOLOGY. 
and Azof Seas, are Pliocene deposits known as the “ Aralo- 
Caspian” beds. The fossils in these beds are partly fresh- 
water, partly marine, and partly intermediate in character, and 
they are in great part identical with species now inhabiting 
the Caspian. The entire formation appears to indicate the 
former existence of a great sheet of brackish water, forming an 
inland sea, like the Caspian, but as large as, or larger than, the 
Mediterranean. 
6. In the United States, strata of Pliocene age are found in 
North and South Carolina. ‘They consist of sands and clays, 
with numerous fossils, chiefly JZolluscs and Lchinoderms. 
From 40 to 60 per cent of the fossils belong to existing 
species. On the Loup Fork of the river Platte, in the Upper 
Missouri region, are strata which are also believed to be refer- 
able to the Pliocene period, and probably to its upper division. 
They are from 300 to 400 feet thick, and contain land-shells, 
with the bones of numerous Mammals, such as Camels, Rhino- 
ceroses, Mastodons, Elephants, the Horse, Stag, &c. 
As regards the /ife of the Pliocene period, there are only 
two classes of organisms to which our attention need be 
directed—namely, the Shell-fish and the Mammals. So far as 
the former are concerned, we have to note in the first place 
that the introduction of new species of animals upon the globe 
went on rapidly during this period. In the Older Pliocene 
deposits, the number of shells of existing species is only from 
40 to 60 per cent; but in the Newer Pliocene the pro- 
portion of living forms rises to as much as from 80 to 
95 per cent. Whilst the Molluscs thus become rapidly mo- 
dernised, the Mammals still all belong to extinct species, 
though modern generic types gradually supersede the more 
antiquated forms of the Miocene. In the second place, there 
is good evidence to show that the Pliocene period was one in 
which the climate of the northern hemisphere underwent a 
gradual refrigeration. In the Miocene period, there is evi- 
dence to show that Europe possessed a climate very similar 
to that now enjoyed by the Southern United States, and cer- 
tainly very much warmer than it is at present. ‘The presence 
of Palm-trees upon the land, and of numerous large Cowries, 
Cones, and other shells of warm regions in the sea, sufficiently 
proves this. In the Older Pliocene deposits, on the other 
hand, northern forms predominate amongst the Shells, though 
some of the types of hotter regions still survive. In the Newer 
Pliocene, again, the Molluscs are such as almost exclusively 
inhabit the seas of temperate or even cold regions ; whilst if 
we regard deposits like the “ Bridlington Crag” and “ Chilles- 
