2q8 Lloyd's natural hlstor?. 



cudbrightshire; while Mr. J. Cordeaux, in the Naturalist for 

 1889 (p. 6), records that two individuals had been seen to enter 

 the H umber. 



THE ANCIENT MAMMALS OF BRITAIN.* 



L The Cavern and Brick-Earth Period. 



Owing to various circumstances, among which denudation 

 not improbably occupies a place, the geological record in 

 Britain during the Tertiary Period is far more imperfect than 

 usual, owing to the total absence in our islands of all traces 

 of strata corresponding to the typical Miocene deposits of 

 the Continent. Nevertheless, in spite of this imperrection, 

 and the consequent absence of the remains of the species 

 which lived during the missing epoch, Britain is remarkably 

 rich in fossil Mammals, our caves, brick-earths, and river- 

 gravels having preserved the bones and teeth of the later 

 in almost endless profusion ; while tke so-called " forest- 

 bed " and crags of the eastern coast are rich in those of a 

 somewhat earlier epoch ; and the deposits of the Hampshire 

 and London basins have yielded evidence of the Mammalian 

 life of the lower portions of the Tertiary Period. In some 

 respects it is, indeed, fortunate that we have not the hosts 

 of Tertiary Mammals known from the Continent, as, if so, it 

 would be absolutely impossible to give any adequate account 

 of them within the limits at our disposal ; but as things are, 

 the list of species is of manageable proportions. 



In giving a brief sketch of the ancient British Mammals, v.-e 

 shall practically omit mention of those found in the most 

 superficial deposits, such as the fens and turbaries, since the 

 majority of these belong to species which are cither still living 



* This section of the work originally appeared in Kiwzvledge^ and has 

 been reproduced by the kind permission of the Editor of that journal. 



