176 QUATERNARY PERIOD. 



While these lignites are rather older than the Utznach forma- 

 tion, and belong to the uppermost Pliocene, the masses of sand 

 and pebbles which in the valley of the Rhine underlie the Loess 

 were very probably deposited at the same time as the lignites. 

 In them we find, besides the remains of elephants, hippopotamus, 

 ox, beaver, horse, and stag, those of Rhinoceros Merkii ; whilst 

 in the loess itself another species of rhinoceros (R. tichorhinus) 

 occurs with the mammoth. 



