AGE OF MAMMALS. 273 



in the Eocene of the Tertiary. Cuvier was the first to 

 develop the true character of the remains in the Paris 

 basin. Soon after he had investigated the fossil ele- 

 phants (to be noticed hereafter), some bones found in 

 the quarries of Montmartre, near Paris, were brought to 

 him for examination. He at once instituted comparisons 

 between these and the bones of various animals of the 

 present age, in order to ascertain the character of the 

 animals to which the fossil bones belonged. He soon 

 decided that they were pachyderms ; and at length, with 

 his knowledge of the relations of bones to each other and 

 to other parts of the frame, he was able, from a few bones, 

 such as those of the head, the jaws, some teeth, and a few 

 of the vertebrae, to fill out the deficiencies, and he drew 

 the outlines of two animals as he supposed them to have 

 been, the Palaeotherium and Anoplotherium, represented 

 in Fig. 164. He presented the subject to the French 

 Academy, averring that the fossil bones belonged to ani- 

 mals of a creation previous to the present animal crea- 

 tion, and he therefore called the larger animal Palseothe- 

 rium, from two Greek words, palaios, ancient, and therl- 

 on, animal. These views were received variously by sci- 

 entific men, some disbelieving, many doubting, and those 

 only believing who had paid some attention to compara- 

 tive anatomy. As the investigation proceeded, complete 

 skeletons of the animals were after a while found in the 

 strata, and the outlines made by Cuvier were shown to 

 be correct, and his views were universally adopted. 



384. Dinotherium. Farther along in the Tertiary than 

 the pachyderms of the Paris basin appeared a monstrous 

 pachyderm of a singular composite character, called the 

 Dinotherium, represented in Fig. 165 (p. 274). Its re- 

 mains have been found in various parts of Europe, the 

 most perfect being a fine skull found in Germany. The 

 figure gives the animal as it was restored by Professor 

 Kaup from the scanty remains which have been obtain- 

 ed. As none of the bones of the limbs have as yet 

 M2 



