32 ,. OSBORN. 



tlicrhim iiicisivum o{ Eppelsheim succeeds the^^i. tctradactylum of 

 Sansan ; the above are dolichocephalic rhinoceroses, possibly an- 

 cestral to Elasmotherium ; R. scJilcicniiaclicri possibh' is a \Q\-y 

 large successor oi R. sansaiiicnsis ; R. goldfussi (Eppelsheim), a 

 successor of R. bracliypus of la Grive-Saint-Alban ; R. blcDifonii 

 (Maragha) also represents the short skulled or brachycephalic 

 race ; R. pacliygnatJnis is probably an African immigrant. Dino- 

 tJicriuin gigaiitcniii replaces D. bavcxricimi. So throughout the 

 Mammalia, besides numerous ne\vl\- introduced forms, such as 

 Plioliyrax and Oiyctcropus, there is a marked e\'olution be)'ond 

 the upper Miocene t}-pes. 



2. Plaisancien, Lower Pliocene 



As this is chiefl)' a marine phase the terrestrial mammalian 

 fauna is unknown except in the lignites of Casino (Tuscany) at 

 its base ; these are equivalent to the Couches smmidtrcs a co)i- 

 gcrics, according to Deperet, and Lapparent. Here are found 

 Hipparion gracilc, Sus crymantliiiis, Antilopc massoiii, Tapirus 

 priscus, ScmnopitJicciis inonspcssulaiuis and other lower Pliocene 

 types. This is the ' pliocene inferieure ' of Gaudiy, Deperet and 

 others who have maintained the upper Miocene age of Pikermi. 

 Upon a somewhat higher level than Casino are the following 

 marine formations of P2ngland in which man\' cetacean and a few 

 terrestrial tj'pes occur ; the parallels are : 



Coralline Crag (Suffolk), marine, containing Mastodon, Rhino- 

 ceros. Red Crag, inferior or Nodule Beds, Marine, containing 

 a fauna equivalent to that of the Astien stage in part. 



3. Astien, Middle Pliocene 



This stage contains the ' faune pliocene ancienne ' of Deperet, 

 or the * older pleiocene fauna ' of certain English authors who 

 have not recognized Pikermi as the typical older Pliocene. 

 Typical localities are the following : 



Roitsillon. Sables sillicieux gris (25 metres), fluvio-lacustrine, fauna very 



similar to that of Montpelier. 

 JMontpelier infer. Sables jaunes marins (50 metres), described by Gaudry and 



representing the Plaisancien faunal stage in part. 



