MAMMALIA. 



33 



among the commonest fossils from the Hempstead Beds 

 of the Isle of Wight (Table-case 7). Several skulls have 

 been obtained from the Oligocene of Ronzon, France, and 

 nearly complete skeletons from the Oligocene of Dakota, 

 U.S.A. (Fig 21). Brachyodus occurs not only in Europe, but 

 also in the ]\Iiocene of Egypt. Merycopotamtis is found in 

 the Lower I'liocene Siwalik Formation of India and Burma, 

 and vari(jus skulls and jaws are exhil)ited in Fier-case 1'3 

 and Table-case 7. 



The actual fore-runners of the ruminants are placed in 

 Table-case 8. They show (1) the gradual acquisition of the 

 typical " selenodont " molar teeth, (2) the beginning of the 



Table-case 

 7. 



Table-case 

 8. 



Pj(-._ 22. — Right upper teeth of Anoplotlicrium cayluxcnse, from the Oligo- 

 cene Phosphorites of France ; nat. size. (Table-case 8.) 



Fig. 23. — Right upper teeth of immature AnoplotJierinm secundariiim 

 from the Upper Eocene of Debruge, France ; nat. size. (Table- 

 case 8.) 



gap (" diastema ") between the front teeth and the l>ack 

 teeth, and (3) the gradual fusion of the bases of the two 

 supporting toes. In the Anoplotheriidse, which are repre- 

 sented l)y Anoplotherinm from the Upper Eocene and Oligocene 

 of France, England, and Germany, the crescent-shaped tooth- 

 cusps are low (Figs. 22, 23), the teeth are in a continuous 

 row in the jaw without any gap, and tliere are three well- 

 developed toes on each foot. The name Anoplothcriiini 

 (" unarmed beast ") was proposed l)y Cuvier, who first 

 described the animal and was impressed by its lack of 

 defensive weapons. The Caenotlieriidae are smaller four- 

 toed animals, from the European Oligocene and Lower 



D 



