OLIGOCENE OF EUROPE, NORTH AFRICA, AND NORTH AMERICA 195 



Mammals and birds. — The mammalian group was picturesquely de- 

 scribed by Filhol ^ in 1880 in his memoir on St. Gerand-le-Puy, and other 

 scenes in central France at this Middle Oligocene time may be imagined 

 from Milne Edwards' description ^ of the birds of St. Gerand-le-Puy and 

 other localities in the Allier basin. The lakes were small and shallow, sur- 

 rounded by broad belts of marsh with characteristic vegetation. Turtles 

 of various kinds lived in the waters, and crocodiles almost as large as 

 the living Nile types were a 



constant menace to the aquatic 

 birds. The varied bird popula- 

 tion finds its parallel to-day on 

 certain lakes in the interior of 

 Africa. Unlike the avifauna of 

 the Upper Eocene, it begins to 

 include a number of existing 

 genera. The pelican, ibis, 

 marabou, flamingo, sand- 

 grouse, and above all the cour- 

 oucou (trogon), the parrots, 

 and secretary birds lent to this 

 fauna an unmistakable African 

 aspect. Ducks were common, 

 cormorants (Gracuhis) and 

 grebes (Colymhoides) were less 

 abundant than the gulls (Larws) , 

 which are to be seen every- 

 where. Considering this abundant community of bird life with that 

 of modern Africa, it is very noteworthy that no African mammals 

 whatever have been found in any deposits of this period. The birds 

 are forms which could more readily migrate. Probably the modern 

 African avifauna is largely derived from that of Oligocene Europe and 

 Asia. 



As noted above, the mammal fauna preserved probably presents a very 

 incomplete picture of the manifold animal life of France at this time. Thus 

 it seems likely that monkeys and lemurs inhabited the forests, and that 

 bats were much more nimierous than the one genus found would indicate. 

 Horses may have existed on the northeastern plains; but no proofs have 

 been found that they existed in Europe. Rodents were common, repre- 

 sented by six families, namely, the now extinct theridomyids (Theridomys) 

 and eomyids (Rhodanomys) , also the squirrels (Sciurus), beavers (Steneo- 

 fiber), the tailless hares or picas (Titanomys). We especially note the 



Fig. 85. — France in Upper Oligocene or Aquita- 

 nian times. Dotted areas = lagoons. White = land. 

 Ruled = sea. After de Lapparent, 1906. 



' Filhol, H., Etude des Mammif^res fossiles de Saint-Gerand le Pay (Allier) . 

 Hautes Etudes, Sect. Sci. Nat., Vol. XIX, Art. 1., 1880. 



2 Milne Edwards, A., Oiseaux fossiles de la France, 1869-1871, pp. 562-570. 



Bibl. Ecole 



