THE MIOCENE OF EUROPE, ASIA, AND NORTH AMERICA 257 



Marine Stages Continental Depositions 



Sarmatian St. Gaudens, (Euingen, Elgg, Kapffnach, Giinsburg, 



Monte Bamboli, San Isidro. 

 Tortonian Simorre, Stcinheim, Grivc-Saint-Alban, IMosskirch 



Helvetian Sansan, Eibiswald, Goriach, Georgcnsgmiind 



The deposits are of the greatest variety, inckuHng the rich tj'pical 

 lacustrine tleposits of Sansan and Simorre of southwestern France, formed 

 in a large freshwater lake, as well as the lignites or swamp deposits of 

 Styria (Steiermark BraunkoJilc) , at Eibiswald, Wies, Goriach, and Voitsberg. 

 These preserve Austria's contribution to the mammalian fauna. In Ger- 

 man}' are the calcareous freshwater deposits of Georgensgmiind and Engels- 

 wies. Of the middle stage are the famous freshwater deposits of Steinheim 

 and the fissure deposits of Mosskirch, which are parallel in age with the 

 great fissure deposits of La Grive-Saint-Alban in France. Italy contributes 

 to the upper stage the mammals of the lignites of Monte Bamboli. As 

 observed by Osborn, and especially clearly defined by Deperet, there are 

 three successive stages, typified by Sansan, Si7norre, and St. Gaudens. 



Stage of Sansan 



The mammals of this oldest stage, discovered in 1834, described by 

 Lartet ^ (1858) and more fully by Filhol ^ (1891), are contemporaneous 

 with a rich bird fauna described by Milne Edwards^ (1869-1871). The 

 latter author observes that the bird fauna as a whole has no species in 

 common with that of the Upper Oligocene of AUier; it is less abundant 

 and less varied, and though it includes many water-loving birds, we find 

 more non-aquatic forms mingled with them. It is certain that the African 

 and Asiatic types are less numerous and that the temperate types are more 

 numerous than during the Oligocene (p. 195). There are four birds of prey, 

 namely: an eagle {Aquila minuta), of the size of the hen-harrier {Circus 

 cyaneus); a sea eagle (HalioBtus piscator), an undetermined species of eagle 

 of large size, and an owl (Strix). Among passerines we know of a large, 

 long- winged crow (Corvus), the remains of which are the most common 

 avian bones found at Sansan; an aberrant passerine (Homalopus), present- 

 ing certain analogies to the hornbills, and thirteen small Fringillidae, mem- 

 bers of the family that includes the modern sparrows, finches, etc. There 

 were two pheasants (Phasianus), one of which was larger than any recent 

 pheasant, and three kinds of partridges (PalfEoperdix), all extinct. About 

 the waters of Sansan lived a heron (Ardea), slightly smaller than the com- 



' Lartet, E., Notice sur la CoUine do vSansan. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Vol. 46. 1858. 



2 Filhol, H., P'turle sur les Mamraif6res fossilcs de Sansan. Ann. Sc. Geol., Vol. XXI, 1, 

 Art i. Paris, 1891. 



' Milne Edwards, A., L'Histoire des Oi.soaux Fossiles de la France, 1869-1871, Vol. II, 

 pp. .579-582. 



