M. R. Thorpe — Oligocene Felidce. 207 



Abt. XV. — New Species of Oligocene (White River) 

 Felidce; by Malcolm Rutherford Thorpe. 



(Contributions from the Othniel Charles Marsh Publication 

 Fund, Peabody Museum, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.) 



Introduction. 



The White River (Oligocene) Felidse material in the 

 Marsh Collection of the Peabody Museum of Yale Uni- 

 versity consists chiefly of specimens of the genus Hoplo- 

 phoneus, with four examples of Dinictis and one of 

 Pogonodon, whereas the John Day Felidae in the same 

 collection show no specimens of Hoplophoneus, but sev- 

 eral of Nimravus, one of Pogonodon, and examples of 

 new species which will soon be described by my colleague, 

 G-. F. Eaton. This distribution is significant. The 

 White River material, in many instances, represents a 

 fauna whose individuals were of smaller size than the 

 John Day representatives of allied genera. The Elo- 

 theres show the same relative size, as do also the vari- 

 ous genera of the Merycoidodontidas. For example, the 

 Eporeodons of the John Day include larger individuals 

 than the White River Merycoidodonts ; the same is true 

 of the genus Promerycochoerus. 



As a result of studies of the Oligocene Felidse, several 

 factors have been brought out which are of interest. The 

 genus Pogonodon Cope is considered by the writer to be 

 worthy of a distinct place in the Felidse and it should not 

 lose its identity by having its species distributed under 

 the various other Oligocene genera as some writers have 

 favored doing. There are now several species referred 

 to this genus, as follows : P. platycopis Cope, 1 the type of 

 the genus; P. br achy ops Cope; 2 P. davisi Merriam; 3 a 

 new species referred to this genus by G. F. Eaton; 4 

 and P. cismontanus n. sp., herein described. 



Some of the terms used in this paper in connection 

 with the measurements are new to paleontology and 

 require a word of definition. In practically all cases, 

 the measurements are based on parts which have proved 

 to be most resistant to destructive processes and which 



1 E. D. Cope, Am. Nat., 14, 143, 1880. 



2 E. D. Cope, Ibid., 14, 849, fig. 11, 1880. 



3 J. C. Merriam, Univ. Calif., Bull. Dept. Geology, 5, No. 1, 53-58, 1906. 



4 G. F. Eaton, John Day Felidse in the Marsh Collection (in preparation) . 



