304 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



feral Tarpan of the Russian steppes. Since the latter race, 

 together with all the Horses that have reverted to a wild con- 

 dition, are inhabitants of open plains, it may be reasonably in- 

 ferred that similar tracts of country formed a prominent feature 

 in Pleistocene Britain. Although Tapirs were wanting, Rhino- 

 ceroses were abundant during the period in question, no less 

 than three species having left their remains in the caverns and 

 1 rick earths, all of which resembled the existing African repre- 

 sentatives of the genus in having two horns and no front teeth. 

 By far the best known of these is the Woolly Rhinoceros (Rhi- 

 noceros anliquitatis), which, while closely allied to the living 

 Burchell's Rhinoceros of Africa, differed in having its body 

 protected from the cold by a thick coat of wool and hair. 

 Ranging to the cold " tundras " of Siberia, where its frozen 

 carcases are met with, imbedded in the icy soil like those of 

 the Mammoth, there can be no doubt that this species was 

 capable of withstanding a considerable degree of cold, although 

 we may perhaps admit that the climate of Siberia during 

 the time that these animals flourished there may have been 

 somewhat less rigorous than at the present day. As to the 

 difficult question of how the carcases of these Rhinoceroses 

 and Mammoths became preserved in their frozen sepulchres, 

 we prefer to leave this to those fonder of argument than our- 

 selves. If we admit that the Woolly Rhinoceros could with- 

 stand a cold climate, there is no difficulty with regard to the 

 other contemporary species, at least one of which has been 

 met with in Siberia, although it does not appear that either was 

 furnished with a woolly coat. Both the Leptorhine (R. lepto- 

 rhinus) and Megarhine (R. megarhinus) Rhinoceroses, as these 

 species are termed, differ essentially from the woolly kind by 

 the simpler structure of their molar teeth, which are more 

 like those of the prehensile-lipped, or so-called Black Rhino- 

 ceros of Africa ; and the skulls and teeth of the two are so much 



