CHAP, xiv.] THE CAT'S HEXICOLOGY. 503 



newer miocene or oldest pliocene age. A cat, the Fells media of 

 Larlet, has been found in the middle miocene in France. F. 

 Christolii (a cat of the size of the serval) occurs in the lower pliocene 

 of France. In pleistocene times, tiger-like cats, with the leopard, 

 lynx, and wild cat, were found in England. 



Felis spclcea became extinct north of the Alps at the close of the 

 pleistocene age; but, as has been said, the well-known "lions" 

 which existed in Macedonia in the time of Xerxes may have been 

 surviving examples of that species. 



Machcerodus is preserved in pliocene and miocene deposits of 

 Europe, India, and America, both North and South. It survived in 

 England down to late pleistocene times.* 



Hoplophoneus is from the White River, Nebraska, or lower 

 miocene. 



Pseudcelurus has been found in the Phosphorites de Quercy, Loup 

 River, Nebraska, and Sanson (Gers). It is therefore eocene and 

 miocene and pliocene. 



Nimravus is a form from the White River, Oregon, and, there- 

 fore, of lower miocene times. 



Dinictis is eocene and miocene, occurring as it does in the Phos- 

 phorites de Quercy and the White Rivers of Colorado, Nebraska, and 

 Oregon. 



Archcdurus is from the lower miocene beds of the John Day 

 region of Oregon. 



Pogonodon is from the same region as Archcehirus. 



Eiismilus is eocene, from, the Phosphorites de Quercy, and 



JElurodon is from the pliocene of Loup River, Nebraska. 



The forms which are oldest therefore, are Pseudcelurus, Dinictis, 

 and Eusmilus. That is to say, the first in time for which we have 

 any evidence are two genera which, in very different degrees, differ 

 from the cat type and approach less specialized forms, and also one 

 genus which is most extremely specialized. 



Next come Pogonodon, Archcelurus, Nimravus, Hoplophoneus, 

 Machcerodus and Felis ; that is to say, the most generalized forms 

 of all the Felidce^ together with extremely specialized forms. 



Nevertheless it is a fact that the genera which most approach 

 ordinary non-feline carnivora the genera namely Archcduru* and 

 Dinictis are from the eocene or older miocene, and none of the most 

 generalized forms have as yet been found in pliocene strata. 



No feline remains have been discovered in any deposit whatever 

 which is older than the eocene, i.e., there are none in any mesozoic 

 or secondary strata. 



8. But very few mammalian remains of any kind have as yet 

 been found in secondary rocks, though of course multitudes of 

 mammals must have existed before the eocene strata were deposited. 

 The remains of beasts first make their appearance in the upper 



* See a paper by Professor ~W. Boyd I Journal of the Geological Society, August, 

 Dawkins on Tertiary Mammals, Quarterly I 1880, 



