344 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OP THE TERRITORIES. 



skulls, both discovered by Professor Hayden. The animal was rather 

 less in size tban the existing panther, and about equaled tbe smaller spe- 

 cies .of Drepanodon, with which it was cotemporaneous. It possessed the 

 same formidable character of upper canines as in the latter genus. From 

 the number and disposition of the teeth, according with those of the 

 weasel, it has been called the saber-toothed weasel. The skull measures 

 six and a quarter inches in length. 



J3LURODON. 



An extinct genus, probably feline, perhaps canine, distinguished by 

 the above name, is founded on an isolated tooth discovered by Professor 

 Hayden in the pliocene sands of the Mobrara Valley. The tooth is an 

 upper sectorial molar, and is intermediate in character to that of the 

 wolves and cats. 



JElurodon ferox. — The species was nearly as large as the Bengal tiger. 



PATRIOFELIS. 



This name has been appropriated to another extinct and supposed 

 feline genus, founded on fragments of a fossil jaw obtained by Profes- 

 sor Hayden from the tertiary formation near FortBridger, Wyoming. 



Patriofelis ulta. — The species was rather larger than our panther. 

 The length of its lower jaw is about six inches. 



LEPTARCTUS. 



An extinct genus, to which the above name has been given, is in- 

 ferred to have existed during the tertiary period, from a single tooth 

 discovered by Professor Hayden, in association with remains of extinct 

 equine genera, at Bijou Hill, east of the Missouri Biver, about ten miles 

 below the mouth of White Biver, Dakota. The tooth apparently indi- 

 cates a carnivorous animal allied to the living coati of South America. 



Leptarctus primus. — The species was about the size of the raccoon. 



NOTHARCTTTS. 



An extinct genus, with the above name, is founded on a portion of 

 the lower jaw, obtained during the last expedition of Professor Hayden. 

 It was discovered on Black's Fork, and pertains to the Bridger tertiary 

 deposit. 



N'otharctus tenebrosus. — The species distinguished by this name was 

 about two-thirds the size of the raccoon, to which it was also related. 



BUMINANTIA. 



The ruminating order of mammals is represented by an abundance of 

 remains in the western tertiary deposits. Most of the members not only 

 belong to extinct genera, but to such as are peculiar to the North Amer- 

 ican continent. 



BOVID^. 



Bison. 



Our western buffalo, or bison, was probably represented during 

 the post-pliocene or quaternary period by a much larger animal, the 

 remains of which have been found, in association with those of the 



