488 



NATURE 



[April 20, 1876 



isolated teeth. In the early Miocene a very interesting 

 form occurs, named Ainp/iicyo/i, characterised by the 

 greater development of the tubercular molars, which are 

 not only larger relatively than in modern dogs, but the 

 one missing in them is present, making the typical num- 

 ber complete. In addition to this generalisation in the 

 dental characters, they possessed five toes on each foot, 

 whereas the modern dogs have lost the hallux. They were 

 large heavy-limbed animals, and have been supposed to 

 present affinities to the bears, which, however, they only 

 do inasmuch as they are more generalised carnivora 

 than are the typical dogs. Remains have been found in 

 various Miocene deposits in France, Germany, Italy, and 

 some assigned to the same genus in North America. It 

 is doubtful if the cynoid or dog-like type of carnivore was 

 distinctly recognisable in the Eocene period, for the Canis 

 parisiensis of the Paris gypsums was founded on a single 

 tooth. 



From the dogs, which hold a very central position 

 in the order, the other existing members deviate in 

 two different directions, one extending through the 

 weasels and martens to the otters and bears, which 

 make the nearest approach to the seals, and the other 

 through the civets and hyaenas to the cats, the most 

 highly specialised and characteristic carnivores. The 

 true bears are especially distinguished by the great deve- 

 lopment of the tubercular and the suppression of the 

 sectorial portion of the molar series. The peculiar den- 

 tition of a bear is, for a carnivorous animal, highly 

 specialised, and, as niight be expected, appears to be a 

 comparative rtc^'nt introduction upon the earth, not ex- 

 tending beyoad the Pliocene epoch, though several tran- 

 sitional forms occur, as Arctotheriuvi bomiriensis of South 

 America, zndt. I fyccnarcios sivaleiisis oi the Siwalik Moun- 

 tain, and H. insignis of the Pliocene of Montpellier. Otters 

 have been traced back to the Pliocene in France, and an 

 allied form Potanioiherinm, to the Miocene. EnJtydriodon 

 is a large otter-like animal from the Siwalik Hills, with 

 very broad and tuberculatcd molars. The evidence 

 as to the ancient history of the IShisiclidce is not very 

 satisfactory, as isolated teeth, by which many of the 

 fossil forms arc known, are not sufficient indications as to 

 their general characters. 



True Viverridce are met with in the European Mio- 

 cenes, one genus, Ictilherhim, forming a transition to the 

 Hyenas. The latter first appeared in the Upper Miocenes 

 of Europe in forms intermediate between the extremes of 

 existing species, and continued abundant until the close 

 of the Pleistocene, but are no.v restricted to A'^rica and 

 Asia. The species so common in the British caves 

 appears to have been identical with the Spotted Hyaena 

 {H. croccetd) of Africa, and the Striped Hyasna (//. striata), 

 has been found fossil in France. The genus has not 

 been met with in America. 



The Feltdcs present the most complete adaptive modi- 

 fication of the carnivorous type for a predatory existence. 

 The jaws are short and wide, the incisors very small, the 

 canines powerful, and the molar series shortened, and its 

 sectorial element developed almost to the complete sup- 

 pression of the tubercular portion. The limbs and claws 

 have undergone corresponding specialisations. The 

 family has now a very wide distribution, and has existed 

 both in Europe and America since the Miocene period. 

 It acquired one most remarkable modification in the 

 animals known as Machcerodus and Drepauodon, in 

 which the upper canine was developed to an extraordi- 

 nary degree, projecting down from out o the mouth like 

 huge sabre-like tusks. In other respects the animal was 

 constructed much on the ordinary feline type. They 

 were widely distributed both in time and space, being 

 found in North and South America, in Europe (including 

 Britain), and in India, and ranging from Miocene to 

 Pleistocene epochs, when they became quite extinct. 



{To bfi continued.) 



UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, BRISTOL 



nPHIS college is now being incorporated under the 

 ■*■ Board of Trade as a company limited by guarantee, 

 under the Companies' Acts, 1862 and 1867. The Board 

 of Governors s the supreme governing body, and com- 

 prises all cor, dbutors above 5/., and a large number of 

 honorary members, with various qualifications, resident in 

 various parts of the West of England. The Council is 

 the managing body, consisting of sixteen, one-half of 

 whom are elected by the governors (in the first instance 

 by the contributors of money, about 20,000/. haviog been 

 already promised in Bristol alone), and the other half are 

 nominated by the Vice-Chancellors of the Universities of 

 Oxford, Cambridge, and London, by the two contributing 

 Oxford Colleges, by the Lord-President of the Privy 

 Council, by the faculty of the old-established Bristol 

 Medical School, and by the Principal and professors of 

 the College. 



The Council comprises the following names : — 



Elected by the Contributors. — W. P. Baker, merchant ; 

 F. N. Budd, barrister; Rev. J. W. Caldicott, Head 

 Master, Grammar School ; Lewis Fry, School Board 

 Chairman, solicitor ; Rev, F. W. Gotch, Principal, 

 Baptist College ; Rev. ]. Percival, Head Master, Clifton 

 College ; G. F. Schacht, pharmacist ; ,W. Smith, mer- 

 chant. 



Prof. B. Jowett, nominated by Vice-Chancellor of 

 Oxford ; Prof. Stuart, nominated by Vice- Chancellor of 

 Cambridge ; W. L. Carpenter, nominated by Vice- 

 Chancellor of London ; Prof. Henry Smith, nominated 

 by Balliol College ; Rev, H. B. George, nominated by 

 New College ; R. W. Coe, nominated by Bristol Medical 

 School. 



At their preliminary meeting, held recently, the Council 

 decided to commence operations in October iiext, and to 

 appoint at first a Professor of Chemistry and a Professor 

 of Modern History and Literature. 



A piece of land has already been secured, but, for the 

 first session or more, the leciures will be given in tempo- 

 rary premises. In all except the strictly medical classes 

 of the medical school (which is being atifiliated with the 

 New College), the instruction will be open to young people 

 of both sexes. Other couises of occasional lectures will 

 be organised during the session. 



In addition to the aid alTorded by Balliol and New 

 Colleges, Oxford, the Worshipful Company of Cloth- 

 workers in London have spontaneously oft'ered a very 

 handsome subvention to the College, with the view of 

 establishing a department of Textile Industries for the 

 improvement of the technical education of the West of 

 England cloth manufacturing districts, as Stroud, Trow- 

 bridge, &c. It is believed that special attention will be 

 given to the chemistry of dyeing and wool scouring, as 

 well as to the mechanical part of the manufactui'e. The 

 details of the arrangements are under the consideration 

 of the Council and of a committee of cloth manufacturers 

 and others, by whom very great interest is felt in the ; 

 proposed scheme. ~ 



The registered temporary office of the College is 

 Shannon Court, Bristol, and letters sent to the Secretary 

 of University College, Bristol, at that address, will be J 

 attended to. 



The Council are seeking for a permanent secretary, and 

 offer a salary of 200/. per year. They hope to obtain the 

 services of a gentleman who will throw himself with zeal 

 and interest into the establishment of the College, 



THE USE OF YELLOW GLASS FOR ZOOLO- 

 GICAL COLLECTIONS 

 A T a recent meeting of the^ Entomological Society of 

 ^"^ Belgium, M. Capronnier read a paper giving an 

 account of some experiments which he had made bearing 

 on the question as to how public collections of insects 



