EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT. 195 



the type genus Felis are nearly all closely related, and vary in 

 size and color rather than in structure. 



The sabre-toothed tigers were in North America in the Plio- 

 cene, and entered South America in numbers at that time. 

 Recent discoveries indicate an American line of sabre-tooths 

 back to the Lower Oligocene and perhaps earlier, and one genus, 

 Smilodon, existed until comparatively recent times, even as late 

 as the Middle Pleistocene. 



The type genus, Felis, occurs doubtfully in the Upper Miocene, 

 and certainly in the Pleistocene, but this genus undoubtedly 

 achieved its development in Asia, and thence spread throughout 

 the world. 



To the puma is probably to be assigned a rather more recent 

 development, as, while it ranges from Canada to Patagonia, the 

 local races which have arisen are all of doubtful value. Closely 

 related fossil forms, however, suggest a possible American origin 

 of great antiquity on this continent. 



In America, the genus Lynx, which is a thoroughly northern, 

 possibly boreal, type, contains three well-marked species, L. can- 

 adensis, L. rufus, L. baileyi, the last a western form, together 

 with ten or more subspecies. All are closely related to European 

 forms. 



RODENTS. 



Of the great order of Rodents, two interesting families are 

 confined to North America. The curious sewellel, or mountain 

 beaver, Haplodon, is surely of American origin. It has no near 

 relatives outside of North America, and can probably be traced 

 back, through Lower Miocene forms, as far as the Oligocene. 

 The Geomyidae or pouched rats are also peculiar to America. 

 Of the true Muridae, the genus Fiber, the muskrat, goes back to 

 the Lower Pleistocene. Since it is closely related to the voles, 

 Arvicola, it also is probably of Eurasian origin. 



As has been already mentioned, the porcupines represent a 

 peculiar group of South American rodents, which has now at- 

 tained a world-wide distribution, and is interesting as the sole 

 contribution of South America to the fauna of Eurasia and 

 Africa. The genus Erithison may have been developed in North 

 America, but the ancestral type unquestionably came from the 

 south. 



