Oct. 4, 1877] 



NATURE 



489 



The author of the work in the " Naturkrafte " series, on 

 "Die Insecten," noticed in Nature for September 13 (p. 418) 

 is not Dr. Georg Mayr, but Prof. Vitus Graber, of Czernowilz 

 University, the well-known auttior of numerous interesting 

 monographs on insect anatomy and histology. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Robben Island Snake (Coronella phocariim) 

 from South Africa, presented by the Rev. G. H. R. Fisk ; a 

 Cliimpanzee ( Troglodyles niger) from West Africa, a Leonine 

 Monkey {Macactis koninus) from Arracan, a White-fronted 

 Capuchin (Ccbus albifrons), a Laughing Gull (Lanis atricilla) 

 from South America, deposited; a Greater Sulphur-crested 

 Cockatoo {Cacatiia gaU-rila), from Australia, presented by Mr. 

 G. S. S. Williams ; two Red-backed Shrikes {Laiiius col/iiiio), 

 European, presented by Capt. F. H. Sahrn ; two Spotted Turtle 

 Doves ( Turltir siiraL-iisis), bred in the Gardens. 



INTRODUCTION AND SUCCESSION OF 

 VERTEBRATE LIFE IN AMERICA ' 

 IIL 

 "T^HE artiodactyles, or even-toed ungulates, are the most abun- 

 -*■ dant of the larger mammals now living, and the group dates 

 back at least to the lowest eocene. In every vigorous primitive 

 type which was destined to survive many geological changes, 

 there seems to have been a tendency to throw off lateral 

 branches which became highly specialised and soon died out 

 because they are unable to adapt themselves to new conditions. 

 The narrow path of the persistent suilline type throughout the 

 whole tertiary is strewn with the remains of such ambitious 

 offshoots, while the typical pig, with an obstinacy never lost, his 

 held on in spite of catastrophes and evolution, and still lives in 

 America to-day. The genus Pliitygonus is represented by several 

 species, one of whicli was very abundant in the post-tertiary of 

 North America, and is apparently the last example of a side 

 branch, before the American suillines culminate in existing 

 peccaries. The feet in this species are more specialised than in 

 the living forms, and approach some of the peculiar features of 

 the ruminants ; as, for example, a s'rong tendency to coalesce in 

 the metapodial bones. The a,^\m% flaiygomis became extinct in 

 the post-tertiary, and the later and existing species are all true 

 peccaries. No authenticated remains of the genera Stis, Porcus, 

 Fhacochizrtis, or the allied Hippotanius, the Old World suillines, 

 have been found in America, although several announcements to 

 that effect have been made. 



In the series of generic forms between the lower eocene 

 Eohyus and the existing Dicolyh", which I have very briefly 

 discussed, we have apparently the ancestrrl hne ending in the 

 typical American suillines. Although the demonstration is not 

 )et as complete as in the lineage of the horse, this is not owing 

 to want of material, but rather to the fact that the actual 

 changes which transformed the early tertiary pig into the 

 modern peccary were comparatively slight, so far as they 

 are indicated in the skeletons preserved, while the lateral 

 branches were so numerous as to confuse the line. It is clear, 

 however, that from the close of the cretaceous to the post-tertiary 

 the bunodont ariiodactyles were especially abundant on this 

 Continent, and only recently have approached extinction. 



The selencdont division of the artiodactyles is a more 

 interesting group, and so far as we now know, makes its first 

 appearance in the upper eocene of the west, although forms 

 apparently transitional between it and the bunodonts occur in 

 the dinoceras beds, or middle eocene. The most pronounced 

 sclenodont in the uj.per eocene is the Oromtryx, which genus 

 appears to be allied to the existing deer family, or drvidts, and 

 if so is the oldest known representative of the group. These 

 facts are important, as it has been supposed, until very recently, 

 that our eocene contained no even-hoofed mammals. 



A most interesting line, that leading to the camels and llamas, 

 separates from the primitive selenodont branch in the eocene, 

 probably throui;h the genus Parameryx. In the miocene, we 

 find in Pivbcithcriiini and some nearly allied forms unmistakable 

 indications that the caraeloid type of ruminant had already 



* Abstract of a lecture delivered at the Nashville meeting of the .\meritun 

 ,ssociation, August 30, by Prof. O. C. Marsh, Continued from p- 47^ 



become partially specialised, although there is a complete series 

 of incisor teeth, and the metapodial bones are distinct. In the 

 pliocene the camel tribe was, next to the horses, the most 

 abundant of the larger mammals. The line is continued through 

 the genus Pnvamelus, and perhaps others, and in this formation 

 the incisors first begin to diminish, and the metapodials to unite. 

 In the post-tertiary we have a true Auc/ienia, represented by 

 several species, and others in South America, where the alpacas 

 and llamas still survive. From the eocene almost to the present 

 time North America has been the home of vast numbers of the 

 Catiidulir, and there can be little doubt that they originated here 

 and migrated to the Old World. 



The deer family has representatives in the upper miocene of 

 Europe, which contains fossils strongly resembling the fauna of 

 our lowt r pliocene, a fact always to be borne in mind in com- 

 paring the horizon of any group in the two continents. Several 

 species of Ccrvida, belongmg to the genus Coioryx, are known 

 from the lower pliocene of the west, and all have very small 

 antlers, divided into a single pair of tynes. 



The proboscidians, which are now separated from the typical 

 ungulates as a distinct order, make their first appearance in 

 North America in the lower pliocene, where several species of 

 mastodon have been found. This genus occurs also in the 

 upper pliocene and in the post-terliary, although some of the 

 remains attributed to the latter are undoubtedly older. The 

 pliocene species all have a band of enamel on the tusks, and 

 .some other peculiarities observed in the oldest mastodons of 

 Europe, which are from essentially the same horizon. Two 

 species of this genus have been found in South America, in 

 connection with the remains of extinct llamas and horses. The 

 genus Elcphas is a later form, and has not yet been identified in 

 this country below the upper pliocene, where one gigantic 

 species was abundant. In the post-pliocene remains of this 

 genus are numerous. The ha'ry mammoth of the Old World 

 (hhplias priinigenius) was once abundant in Alaska, and great 

 numbers of its bones ate now preserved in the frozen cliffs of 

 that region. This species does not appear to have extended east 

 of tlie Rocky Mountains, or South of Columbia River, but was 

 replaced there bv the American elephant, which preferred a 

 milder climate. Remains of the latter have been met with in 

 Canada, throughout the United States, and in Mexico. The 

 last of the American mastodons and elephants became extinct in 

 the post-teitiary. 



Perhaps the most remarkable mammals yet found in America 

 are the Tillodontia, which are comparatively abundant in the 

 lower and middle eocene. These animals seem to combine the 

 characters of several different groups, viz., the carnivores, ungu- 

 lates, and rodents. In the genus Tillollurium, the type of the 

 order, and of the family Tillotluridcc, the skull resemble^ that of 

 the bears ; the molar teeth are of the ungulate type, while the large 

 incisors are very similar to those of rodents. The skeleton 

 resembles that of the carnivores. 



We now come to the highest group of mammals, the primates, 

 which includes the lemurs, the apes, and man. This order has 

 a great antiquity, and even at the base of the eocene we find 

 it represented by several genera belonging to the lower forms of 

 the group. In considering these interesting fossils it is important 

 to have in mind that the lemurs, which are usually regarded as 

 primates, although at the bottom of the scale, are only found at 

 the present day in Madagascar and the adjacent regions of the 

 globe. All the American monkeys, moreover, belong to one 

 group, much above the lemurs, while the Old World apes are 

 higher still, and most nearly approach man. 



In the lower eocene of New Mexico we find a few repre- 

 sentatives of the earliest known primates, and among them are 

 the genera Lcmurazus and Limiiothtritim, each the type of a 

 distinct family. These genera l)ecame very abundant in the 

 middle eocene of the West, and with them are found many 

 others, all, however, included in the two families LcmiiraviUa: 

 and Limnotherida. 



In the miocene lake basins of the West only a single species 

 of the Primates has been identified with certainty. This was 

 found in the oredoon beds of Nebraska and belongs to the genus 

 Laopithatis, apparently related both to Limnotheridts and to 

 some existing South American monkeys. In the pliocene and 

 post-pliocene of North America no remains of primates have yet 

 been found. 



In the post-pliocene deposits of the Brazilian caves remains of 

 monkeys are numerous, and mainly belong to extinct species of 

 Callilhrix, Cebus, and jfacc/'ius, all living South American 

 genera. Only one extinct genus, Prolo^il/uiiis, which em- 



