240 TUANSACTIONS AND PKOCEEDINGS OF THE [Sehs. Lxvi. 



have been little, if any, colder than now. The aquatic 

 plants point to the same conclusion, though not so definitely, 

 as many of them are widely dispersed." 



Mr. Eeid gives lists of the estuarine, land, and fresh- 

 water mollusca found in these same beds, and these tell 

 very nearly the same story as do the plant-remains. When, 

 however, we come to study the mammalian-remains, which 

 have been obtained from the Forest Bed in great numbers, 

 both as regards individuals and species, we seem to obtain 

 evidence of a much more important kind, so far as the con- 

 ditions affecting plant life are concerned. We must, of 

 course, steadily bear in mind the fact that we are dealing 

 with drifted remains, and that these probably came from 

 various parts of the Basin of the Ehine, and not from any 

 of Britain. But after making all due allowance for this 

 fact, there is still much that has a most important bearing 

 upon the question here under consideration. We have 

 seen that the plants transported thither were of existing 

 species ; and further, as just stated, that the mollusca are 

 mostly recent forms too, a few only being not native to 

 Britain. Among these latter Mr. Eeid gives the following:— 

 Corhicula Jiuw.inalis (which does not live now nearer than 

 the Mle) ; Valvcda Jluviatilis (Belgium and Germany) ; 

 Hydrobia steinii (Sweden and near Berlin) ; H. marginata 

 (South of France) ; and Lithogly2Jlius fuscus (Danube). 

 Limax modioliformis, Pisidium astartoides, Paludina gibba, 

 and NemafAira runtoniana also occur. 



Amongst the mammals may be mentioned the follow- 

 ing : — Elepluis meridionalis (a gigantic species, even for the 

 genus to which it belongs), E. cmtiquus, Myogale vwschata, 

 Arvicola intermedins, and other species. Trogontheriurn, 

 cuvieri (a large extinct ally of the Beaver), ten or more 

 species of Cervus, Rhinoceros efruscus, Equus stenonis and 

 E. cabcdlus, Trichechus hiixleyi, Machairodus, Ursus spelcnus 

 (the Grizzly Bear), Canis lupus, C. vidpes, Rycena crocuta, 

 Gido luscus, Bison honasus, Ovibos moschatus, Caprovis savinii 

 Alces latifrons, Hipp)opotamus ampMbius, and Sus scrofa. 

 With these have been found a long list of birds, reptiles, 

 amphibia, and fishes. 



The points to notice are — (1) the large size of the 

 mammalia, and especially of the herbivorous species. This, 



