250 



THE AUKIFEKOUS GEAYELS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA. 



Mastodon 



One of these species. 



5 



Calift 



second, 



intermediate in size to the two latter, may be named A. hestema" 



The locality of Dr. Yates's specimens of A. hestema is Alameda County. 

 A single tooth, in excellent preservation, was seen by the writer in the 

 collection of Dr. E. S. Snell of Sonora, and by him stated to have been found 

 in the auriferous gravel in the vicinity of that place. It proved, on exami- 

 nation to be the last inferior molar of a large ruminant probably allied to 

 the camel. It resembles a tooth of corresponding size, but a penultimate 

 molar, from the Niobrara River, for which Dr. Leidy proposed the name of 

 Mcgalomeryx* Of this genus Dr. Leidy remarks : * The genus to which the 

 above name was applied has not been determined by positive characters, and 

 may prove not to be distinct from Procamelus" t This is a remarkable in- 

 stance of the proof of the existence of an interesting species — once probably 

 abundant on the Pacific Coast — dependent on the accidental preservation 

 of a single tooth ; for this seems to be the only specimen of the kind found 



east of Nebraska. 



Of the Capridw it is not known to the writer that any remains have been 

 found in the Sierra. A single specimen of a large sheep-like molar, of uncer- 







tain reference, was among the specimens submitted by the writer to Dr. Leidy 

 for examination. The tooth was in a very broken condition. It came from 

 near Centerville, Alameda County, and was collected by Dr. Yates. 



Of the Cervidw, the only fossil remains known to the writer as having been 

 found in the Sierra are those mentioned in connection with the notice of the 

 bones of the lama discovered in Mariposa County and a single metatarsal 

 bone, of a species of Cervus, smaller than the Virginia deer. This latter was 

 found in the gravel near Murphy's at an unknown depth. 



Two lower molar teeth of an animal not differing from the living American 

 tapir were also seen in Dr. Snell's collection ; and were said to have come 

 from the gravels in the vicinity of Sonora. X These also are unique speci- 

 mens, no other evidences of the existence of the fossil tapir anywhere west 

 of the Mississippi Valley, although the remains of this animal have been found 

 in many localities in the Eastern States. As Dr. Leidy remarks : * Seeing 

 that different known species of tapirs exhibit little or no difference in the 



* Proceedings Phila. Acad. Nat. Sci., 1858, p. 24. 



* 



t Contributions, &c, p. 260. 



% Casts of these teeth were taken and submitted to Dr. Leidy for examination. They were the same 

 specimens afterwards examined by Professor Owen of London. See Am. Jour. Sci. (2), XLV., 381. 







