FOSSIL REMAINS. 61 



" It was partially imbedded in a layer of blue clay a foot iii thick- 

 ness, overlaid by a layer of lighter clay two feet two inches thick, 

 containing casts and shells of Mya arenaria, Macoma subulosa, 

 Mytylus edulis, Cardium (Serripes) grcenlandicum, Astarte trun- 

 cata 7 Saxicava distorta. Nucula antiqua, Leda tenuisulcata, L. 

 truncate^ Natica clausa and pusilla, and Balanus. The skeleton 

 is in the Museum of the Portland Society of Natural History."* 



In Europe, Walrus remains were reported by Cuvier t as found 

 at Angers, France, but Gervais| found later that the only por- 

 tion of those remains accessible to him belonged not to the 

 Walrus, but to the Halitlierium. 



In 1858, however, a part of a cranium was described by Gra- 

 tiolet, from the diluvial deposits of Montrouge, near Paris. He, 

 however, considered it as distinct from the existing species, even 

 generically, and gave it the name Odobenotlierium lartetianum. 

 In 1874, a nearly entire skull was described by Defrance, from 

 similar deposits near the village of Sainte-Menehould, Marne, 

 which he not only considered as identical with the li ving species, 

 but also referred the fragment previously described by Gratiolet 

 to the same species. Eespecting these specimens he says : 



"En comparant entre elles les tetes du Tricliechus rosmarus 

 de nos iners, de V Odobenotlierium Lartetianum et du Triclieclms 

 de Sainte-Menehould, on leur trouve une ressemblance aussi com- 

 plete que possible, sauf en ce qui concerne la forme et le vo- 

 lume de 1'apophyse rnastoide, point qui presente des differences 

 assez sensible. On sait que dans le T. rosmarus cette apophyse 

 est tres-grande, presque verticale, et saillante la partie infe'- 

 rieure du crane 5 celle de V Odobenotherium, egalement tres- 

 volumineuse, se prolonge presque horizontalernent en arriere, 

 sans d^passer le crane infexieurement ; celle du TricJiecJms de 

 Sainte-Menehould presente un volume plus considerable encore 

 que dans les deux autres, sans se prolonger en arriere comme 

 dans V Odobenotlierium^ inais inferieurement comme dans le 

 Triclieclms actuel. Ces nuances l^geres indiquent ^videmment 

 une <5troite parent^ entre ces trois individus ; aussi est-il diffi- 

 cile de comprendre que Gratiolet ait voulu e'tablir un nouveau 

 genre sur des particularit^s pen accentu^e que celles que lui 

 presentait la portion de crane dont il etait possesseur, et qui ne 



* American Naturalist, vol. xii, p. 633, Sept., 1878; see also Portfajid (Maine) 

 Argus, of July , 1878. 

 tOssem. Foss. 



JZool. et Pale'ont. Francaises, 1859, p. 88. 

 Bull. Soc. G6ol. de France, 2 e s6r., xv, f 1858, p. 624. 



