Dr. A. Nehring—Fauna of the Loess in Central Europe. 57 
I regret also in this point to be obliged to refute the affirmations 
of Mr. Howorth, although he has quoted European and American 
authorities. EH. von Martens, Professor of Zoology at Berlin, who is 
also an Huropean authority in conchology, has proved in several 
publications, that the Helices and Succineas, which Mr. Howorth 
and his correspondent Prof. Todd believe to require a moist climate 
and a deep shade, live very numerously in the Steppe-regions of 
Central Asia, and that many species of Loess molluscs occur at 
present living in East Russia, in South-west Siberia, and even in the 
prairies of the Little Missouri in North America.! JI state further, 
that the molluscs found by me at Westeregeln and Thiede together 
with the Steppe-animals require by no means a moist forest climate, 
but are on the contrary always or at least very often natives of dry 
and forestless districts.” 
In referring Mr. Howorth to my publications, I may in conclusion 
State :— 
1. During the first epoch of the Post-Glacial period, where the 
Loess and many Loess-like deposits were formed, there lived in 
Central Europe a Steppe-fauna, the principal representatives of 
which were <Alactaga jaculus, several species of Spermophilus, 
Arctomys bobac, Lagomys pusillus, numerous species of Arvicola, 
Cricetus phous, Wild Horses, Wild Asses, Antilope saiga. 
2. This Steppe-fauna (excepting some extinct or extirpated 
species) is identical with the fauna of the South-east European and 
South-west Siberian Steppes. 
3. The first exhaustive exploration of that fossil-fauna was, 
I am glad to state, reserved for me; I do not know where 
Cuvier or other paleontologists before me have published exact 
researches about Alactaga jaculus foss., Spermophilus altaicus foss., 
Arctomys bobac foss., etc., or where they have previously published 
the well-founded conclusions at. which | have arrived. 
4, The former existence of Steppe-regions in Central Europe is also 
supported by the most recent researches both of botany and geology.® 
do. A Steppe-fauna requires a corresponding Steppe-flora and a 
Steppe-climate. Forests were reduced during that epoch to the 
borders of the streams, to the slopes of the mountains, and other 
well-irrigated tracts. Inland-lakes were as numerous in the Post- 
Glacial Steppe-regions of Central Hurope, as they are now in the 
North-west of Central Asia. 
1K. v. Martens, Sitzgsber. d. Gesellsch. naturforsch. Freunde in Berlin, vom 20 
Nov. 1877, vom 19 Marz 1878, vom 21 Oct. 1879, vom 18 Juli 1882, vom 21 
Nov. 1882. 
2 Pupa muscorum, Helix pulchella, Chondrula tridens, Suecinea oblonga are 
abundant in the steppe-like surroundings of the Altai. Helix striata, which species 
at Westeregeln is most prevalent, occurs at present always on dry grassy slopes of 
loamy or sandy hills. Helix tenwilabris is found living on the woodless heights of 
the Swabian Alp, and Helix hispida I found abundant on the nettles of dry sandy 
hills far distant from any wood. 
3 Engler, Versuch einer Entwicklungsgesch. d. Pflanzenwelt, etc., I. p. 161 ss. 
Engler, Botan. Jahrb. I. -p. 75.—Tietze, Die geognost. Verh. d. Gegend von Lem- 
berg im Jahrb. d. K. K. geol. Reichsanst. in Wien, 1882, Heft I. 
