PRECURSORS OF HORSES. 75 



in size; whilst Goldfuss's rhinoceros (R. Goldfussi, Kaup), which 

 is to be numbered among the hornless species, was larger than 

 the Indian rhinoceros. Of this species the teeth have been 

 found in the lignites of Hohe-Rhonen, and a fine lower jaw has 

 been discovered on the footpath between the Rothel and the 

 Weid (near Wipkingen). The skulls of two other large species 

 (R. gannatensis, Duv., and R. sansaniensis, Lart.) are preserved 

 in the Museum at Berne. They were found in the sandstone 

 of the Engehalde near Berne, and, curiously enough, were lying 

 close together in the same block. 



The genus Anchitherium, which is met with in the Eocene 

 fauna (see vol. i. p. 276), constitutes a sort of transition towards 

 the horse of more recent times. One species (A. aurelianense, 

 Cuv., sp.) occurs in the Swiss Miocene, but it has only been seen 

 in the uppermost stages (at Elgg and Vermes). ' With it is 

 associated a second genus (Hippariori), which very closely ap- 

 proaches the horse of the present day, but is more slender and 

 more elegantly formed, and is distinguished by the more finely 

 undulated folds of enamel in the teeth, as well as by the posses- 

 sion of two rudimentary lateral toes. Besides the great middle 

 toe, which forms the hoof, the foot had on each side a small toe 

 which did not touch the ground in walking. Our species (Hip- 

 parion gracile, Kaup, sp.) is intermediate in size between the 

 horse and the ass ; it has been found in the marine Miocene of 

 the Tour de la Moliere, of Schnottwyl (Canton of Soleure), and 

 near Sainte-Croix and La Chaux-de-Fonds. In Upper Miocene 

 times these animals were spread over Central Europe, and pro- 

 bably lived in large herds, as in various places the bones have 

 been met with together in large quantities. 



An abundance of swine-like animals at the same time inha- 

 bited Switzerland. No fewer than eleven species, belonging to 

 six different genera, have been discovered in that country. 

 They prove that the forests and marshes must have produced a 

 great quantity of nutritive material to cause the development of 

 so rich a fauna. Two species are referred to the existing genus 

 Sus. Of one of these (Sus wylensis, Meyer) a fine specimen of 

 the jaws and teeth was discovered in the lignite of Nieder- 

 utzweil in the Toggenburg; the second species (Sus abnor- 

 mis, Kaup) is furnished by the lignites of Elgg. The other 

 species belong to extinct genera, some of which, however, 



