THE ANCIENT MAMMALS OF BRITAIN. 309 



species characterising the former epoch extending downwards 

 to the Forest-bed, while others are replaced by those of the 

 Crag. Stiil, however, the percentage of existing species is high, 

 and as but few of the genera appear to be extinct, we prefer to 

 assign the formation in question to the Pleistocene rather thari 

 to the Pliocene Epoch. 



Commencing with the Carnivores, we have evidence that the 

 Forest-bed possesses a Sabre-toothed Tiger apparently specifi- 

 cally distinct from the Cavern species, and not improbably 

 identical with one {Machmrodus cultridens) from the upper 

 Pliocene beds of the Val d'Arno in Tuscany ; while the Hyaena 

 is identical with the Cavern form, that is to say, the existing 

 South African species." The Wolf, and probably the Fox, as 

 well as the Marten and the Glutton, are likewise existing species 

 ranging as far down as the Forest-bed ; and the occurrence of 

 the last-named is somewhat notable, as showing that even at 

 this early epoch, northern types were capable of existing in 

 England before we have any evidence of the incoming of 

 strongly-marked Glacial conditions. The other land Carnivores 

 of the Forest-bed are Otter and the Cave-Bear ; while the teeth 

 of a smaller Bear have been tentatively assigned to the Ameri- 

 can Grizzly, although we should think it more probable that 

 they pertained to the Brown species. Of marine forms, a 

 Walrus which has been regarded as specifically distinct from 

 the living representative of the genus, and the Bearded Seal 

 {Phoca barhatd), now inhabiting the North Atlantic, have been 

 recorded from the formation under consideration. 



In the Hoofed Order we find the Bison and the Musk-Ox, as 

 well as a large Sheep (Ovis savini) apparently allied to the 

 Himalayan Argali, inhabiting East Anglia during the deposition 

 of the Forest-bed ; while the Roe Deer, an extinct kind of Elk 

 {Alces latifrons), and the Red Deer likewise lived at the same 

 time. There appear also to have been several species of ex- 



