64 THE MAMMALIA. 



break off, for no result, millions of commenced 

 series, than that so-called accident should prevail 

 within the absolute laws of Nature. 



Gaudry, in a very admirable work, 1 has given 

 an account of the main substance and the results 

 of all the palEeontologico-zoological inquiries. 



Of even greater importance to the question 

 of transition- and intermediate forms are the 

 works of Filhol, a young compatriot of Gaudry's. 

 We refer to his papers on the ' Phosphorites of 

 Quercy,' 2 which appeared in 1876 and 1877 ; also 

 his article on the ' Fossil Mammals of St. Gerard le 

 Puy,' and his comprehensive treatise on the ' Fossil 

 Mammals of Eonzon,' which appeared in 1882. 



Phosphorite belongs to the Upper Eocene for- 

 mation of South-western France, deposits of non- 

 crystallised phosphated lime. It is found in cracks 

 and hollows which have been filled up from above. 

 The deposit, Filhol says, was no doubt the result 

 of warm springs, which from time to time caused 

 extensive inundations, and drowned or suffocated 



1 Gaudry, Les enchainements du inonde animal dans les 

 temps geologiques. Mammiferes tertiaires (1878). 



2 Filhol, Recherches sur les Phosplwritcs du Quercy. Etiidcs 

 sur lesfossiles qu'on a rencontres, et specialement les mammifercs. 

 Annales des sciences gdologiqucs, vii., viii. ; Mammiferes fossiles de 

 Ht. -Gerard le Pwj/, Ibid. x. ; Mammiferes de Eonzon, xii. 



