XC PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



By this reasoning, then, it appears that the following genera are 

 grouped together in the older pliocene deposits of several important 

 localities: viz. Piedmont and Lombardy — Trilophodon Borsoni, Te- 

 tralophodon arvernensis, Loxodon meridionalis, L. priscus, Euelephas 

 antiquus, together with Rhinoceros leptorhinus and Hippopotamus 

 major. In the Subapennine beds of the Val d'Arno, in Tuscany — 

 Tetralophodon arvernensis, Loxodon meridionalis, with the same 

 Hippopotamus and Rhinoceros. Near Chartres in Prance — Loxodon 

 meridionalis with the same Hippopotamus and Rhinoceros. In the 

 Crag deposits of the Eastern coast of England — Tetralophodon 

 arvernensis, Loxodon meridionalis, Euelephas antiquus, associated at 

 Cromer and other places in Norfolk, as well as in the Yalley of the 

 Thames, with Rhin. leptorhinus, and Hipp, major ; so that the re- 

 semblance between the two extreme localities is even greater than 

 between either of them and the intermediate. 



On the north of the Alps, the regular characteristic fauna of the 

 Pliocene epoch becomes confused by the introduction of species fo- 

 reign to it, proceeding from the erratic drift, in some cases a glacial 

 drift ; and this has been the case also in proximity with the newer 

 gravels of England, so that the Euelephas primigenius, the Mam- 

 moth of the Siberian glacial period, the R. tichorhinus, and the Musk 

 Ox (Bubidus moschatus) of the Post-pliocene fauna have been acci- 

 dentally mixed with the fauna of the Pliocene. Whilst, however, 

 thus separating the fauna of the true Post-pliocene beds from that of 

 the Pliocene, Dr. Ealconer considers that the chronological subdivi- 

 sion of the Upper Tertiaries into Older Pliocene and Newer Pliocene 

 or Pleistocene is untenable, as he considers too great a stress has 

 been laid upon shell-evidence — at the same time stating that he is 

 far from supposing that all the species of this remarkable fauna ranged 

 equally throughout the area, as it is at least probable that some 

 were peculiar to the south, and others to the north. The appa- 

 rent restriction, indeed, of E. primigenius to the region north of 

 the Alps, in Europe, and again to the Northern and Central States of 

 North America, is a fact of great importance, whilst the occurrence 

 of the Hippopotamus gives a fair indication of the climatal and 

 physical conditions of the country. 



A short paper of Mr. "W*. Bollaert, F.R.G.S., on the occurrence of 

 bones of Mastodon in Chili, was communicated by Professor Owen, 

 who states that the fragments of bone taken from the Lake of Tagua- 

 tagua, 45 leagues south of Santiago de Chili, are parts of a femur 

 and tibia of a Mastodon, probably M. Andium, Cuvier. Mr. Bol- 

 laert observes that few instances of the discovery of fossil bones on 

 the western side of the Andes have been recorded, and that he had 

 been unable to discover any traces of such bones, either on the Isth- 

 mus of Darien, where many railway- cuttings were in progress, or on 

 his journey southward to Chili, until his friend, the British Consul 

 at Santiago, Mr. George Smith, presented him with the above speci- 

 mens which he had himself taken from the Lake Taguatagua. The 

 lake is 2300 feet above the bed of the Pacific Ocean, and is surrounded 

 by very high hills, called the Borbollon, of volcanic origin, the high- 

 est peak rising to the height of 7000 feet above the margin of the 



