IV.] CARNIVORA. 157 



as well as the Mexican subregion, although they are represented 

 in Madagascar only by a single species of the widely spread genus 

 Crocidura. Unknown in America, the latter genus, which includes 

 the well-known musk-shrews, is widely spread over Europe, Asia, 

 and Africa, extending as far east as Amurland ; but the typical 

 genus Sorex is practically confined to the Holarctic region 1 , while 

 other genera have a more local distribution. 



With the exception of the civet tribe ( Viverridce] and hyaenas 

 (Hyanidce), which are unknown in the New World, 



....... . Carnivora. 



the majority of the existing families of the Carnivora 

 have, if we except Notogaea, a cosmopolitan distribution, while in 

 many cases this extensive distribution also holds good with regard 

 to genera. In Europe the Felidce and Canidce, together with the 

 Mustelida seem to have made their first appearance in the lower 

 Oligocene, when they were accompanied by the extinct creodonts ; 

 while in America the two former are known from the John Day 

 group, corresponding to the European Miocene. The bears 

 ( Ursidce) are, however, a later group, being unknown before the 

 Pliocene. Although the whole of the families mentioned above 

 are represented in South America at the present day and during 

 the Plistocene, they are, as we have seen in the last chapter, 

 unknown in the presumably Miocene Tertiaries of Patagonia, and 

 they are therefore originally of Arctogaeic origin. Although most 

 of the extinct American Tertiary genera of cats are distinct from 

 those of Europe, the sabre-toothed tigers (Machcerodus) were 

 common to both areas, and likewise ranged into Notogaea; and 

 the existing Felis has a similar cosmopolitan distribution. A more 

 .specialised sabre-toothed genus (Eusmilus) is likewise common 

 to North America and Europe. As examples of extinct American 

 cats, we may name Nimravus and Archcelurus ; while the Oligocene 

 ^Elurictis may be cited as an Old World form. The aforesaid 

 distinction between the Oligocene and Miocene Felidcz of North 

 America and Europe is, however, an indication that by this date 

 the mammalian faunas of Western and Eastern Arctogaea had 

 become differentiated to a certain extent, although, as now, there 

 were many types common to the two areas. 



1 It has one species in the Sonoran. 



