FOSSIL MAMMALIA. 117 



aurochs, or the American buffalo or bison, is not yet very clearly 

 made out. 



The crania, similar to those of the domestic ox, have not been 

 found, authentically verified, except in the turbaries and other 

 very superficial formations. It is therefore far from impro- 

 bable that they are of more modern origin than the bones of 

 the elephant and rhinoceros ; nay, it is far from unlikely that 

 they might have appertained to the original wild stock from 

 which our native oxen are descended. 



As yet no relic has been found among the fossils which 

 resembles any variety of the Indian or Cape buffalo. Con- 

 sequently, if the fossils are derived from existing species, it is 

 from the species peculiar to cold, and not to hot, climates. 



The crania resembling that of the American musk-ox, hav- 

 ing been seen but three times, and on the coast of Siberia, 

 there are doubts respecting not only their identity of species, 

 but also regarding the question, whether they are truly fossil, 

 or might have been transported from America, during the 

 thaws, .by currents, on floating ice. 



Bones belonging to 'this genus of ruminants have, as we 

 before hinted, been also found in certain caverns, with other 

 osseous remains. 



From all the researches which have been made respecting 

 the ruminantia, it appears that some species existed in tolerable 

 numbers, contemporaneously with the elephant, rhinoceros, 

 &c., of the fossil species ; but it still is extremely doubtful, 

 that, a few excepted, they can be with confidence referred to 

 species no longer in existence. 



The Fossil Carnivora. 



Bones belonging to this order are not found so abundantly in 

 the alluvial strata ; but, as we have seen before, they exist in 

 immense quantities in the caverns, and are also found in the 

 osseous breccia. The Baron has entered very deeply into osteo- 

 logical details respecting both the living species and the fossil 



