LESSONS IN GEOLOGY. 371 



and often of enormous size. Their remains are found in caves, in 

 marshes, and sometimes in the drift and silt of streams. In Eu- 

 rope more have been found in caves, while in North America more 

 have been found in swamps and bogs. 



The mastodon, two species of elephants, two great bisons, a 

 giant stag, large horses and beavers, the megalonyx and the tapir 

 were the most interesting among the herbivorous animals; there 

 were one lion and two bears to represent the carnivora. In South 

 America there were several large edentates, a mastodon, with 

 wolves, panthers and others. But Europe and Asia had the 

 richest variety of species, especially among the carnivora. In the 

 bone caves of Europe they have found remains of the cave bear, 

 cave hyena, cave lion and two tigers, all of remarkably large 

 size. Several elephants, a rhinoceros, a hippopotamus, horses, 

 oxen, the great Irish elk and others represent the herbivora. The 

 mammoth, a species of elephant, was over twice the bulk and 

 weight of modern elephants. Some have been found frozen in the 

 ice of Siberian swamps; they were covered with hair and wool, 

 and the flesh, preserved by cold, was eaten with relish by dogs. 

 In one cave the remains of 800 bears were found, and one con- 

 tained the remains of at least 300 cave hyenas. 



The difference between the plant life of the quaternary and the 

 present was not great, neither was the difference between the 

 lower animals of that time and the recent period, and while, at 

 first, the difference between the mammalia seems great, yet the 

 type is still the same; many species of mammals, some birds 

 and others, have become extinct, but in general the change has 

 been slight. There is no definite event that marks the close of 

 the quaternary and the opening of the recent age, or age of 

 man. The country rose out of the waters of theChamplain 

 period, formed a soil, was clothed with vegetation, and entered 

 upon the various lines of activity now in progress. 



The Mississippi river is silting up its channel, which indicates 

 that the region of its upper course is slowly settling. Old beach 

 lines along the shores of Lake Ontario, that, when made, were 

 level, have been raised considerably toward the east, so that the 



