V.] OLIGOCENE FAUNA. 193 



persisted, although more modern types had already made their 

 appearance on the scene ; and opossums flourished. 



The middle stage of the Oligocene is represented in Europe 

 by the freshwater marls and clays of Hempsted in the Isle of 

 Wight and the corresponding beds of Ronzon, near Puy-en-Velay, 

 the lignitiferous strata of Cadibona in Liguria, the deposits of 

 Fontainebleau and Ferte-Alais in France, and likewise by certain 

 beds in Hungary and at Monte Promina in Dalmatia. Among 

 the small fauna of this stage we may notice the following. In the 

 Insectivora, Tetracus, an ally of the hedgehogs; Cynodon, Amphi- 

 cynodon, Plesictis, and Hycznodon among the carnivores; Anthra- 

 cotherium, Ancodus, Elotherium, Ccenotherium, Gelocus, and Rhino- 

 ceros in the ungulates; and opossums (Didelphys). While this 

 fauna is closely related to the preceding, it has lost a number of 

 early ungulate types, such as Anoplotherium and Xiphodon among 

 the artiodactyles, and Pal&otherium and Anchilophus in the 

 perissodactyles. On the other hand, the pig-like forms, such as 

 Ancodus, Anthracotherium, and Elotherium, attained an extra- 

 ordinary degree of development. Among the creodont carnivores, 

 we may note the final disappearance of the genera Pterodon and 

 Proviverra, although Hycenodon still survived. 



The upper Oligocene (lower Miocene) fauna is a large and 

 characteristic one, well represented in the freshwater beds of 

 St Gerand le Puy, in the Allier, as well as in those of Weisenau 

 and other localities in the neighbourhood of Mayence. Among 

 the mammals may be mentioned the following ; existing genera 

 being denoted by the prefix of a f. 



INSECTIVORA. fTalpa. fSorex. 



Geotrypus. Dimylus. 



t Myogale. Palseoerinaceus. 



Plesiosorex. t Erinaceus. 



CARNIVORA. Cephalogale. fViverra. 



Amphicyon. t Herpestes. 

 Plesictis. Proaelurus. 



Potamotherium. Hyaenodon. 



Amphictis. 



L. 13 



