PALEOTHERIUM. MIOCENE. 



from the Greek, a, without, oplon, arm, and therion, animal ) wa& 

 of the size of an ass, of a heavy form, and with thick short legs 

 and a long tail ; some species had slender legs, and must have been 

 swift and active ; and others of the size of a hare, and even of a 

 guinea-pig, which were nevertheless adult. 



13. The paleothe'rium (Jig. 157 from the Greek, palaios, 

 ancient, and therion, a beast), was of the size of a horse, and form 

 of a tapir ; species of various size, both krge an 1 small, existed 



Fig. 157. Skeleton of the Paleothe'rium magnum. 



14. Above the gypsum we find another more modern group, 

 consisting of two formations, one marine and the other fresh-water. 

 They are composed of marls, mica'ceous and quartzose sands, and 

 layers of flint. These beds of sand are often of great thickness, 

 and are at first coloured by oxide of iron, and then white and pure: 

 they frequently form masses of sandstone, sometimes witnout or 

 ganic remains, or only rolled shells of the marine limestone ; some- 

 times, on the contrary, they contain the casts or impressions of 

 shells. On these sandstones repose new lacu'strine deposits, form- 

 ing sometimes shell millstone, filled with lymneae (Jig. 158), 

 piano' rbis (fig. 159), and seeds ofchara, or gyro'gonites (Jig. 160). 



Fig. 158. Lymnea 

 longisca'ta. 



Fig. 159. Piano' rbis 

 cuom'phalus. 



FigASQ.Chara medt 

 cage'nula (greatly 

 magnified.} 



15. The Miocene, or middle tertiary period. During 1 this 

 second part of the tertiary period both terrestrial and aquatic am* 



13. What is the Paleothe'rium ? 



14. What lies above the gypsum ? 



