516 THE TERTIARY PERIOD 



In Europe the lower Miocene flora was quite like that of modern 

 India; over the central and western regions Palms continue to 

 flourish, together with Live Oaks, Myrtles, Magnolias, Figs, etc. 

 In the latter part of the epoch a change is noted, and such trees 

 as Beeches, Poplars, Elms, Maples, Laurels, and the like become 

 dominant. 



Marine Invertebrates belong almost entirely to genera which 

 still live in the seas, and many of the species persist to our own 

 day. Both in North x\merica and Europe the older Miocene has 

 numbers of shells such as now live only in warm seas, like Cyprcea, 

 Mitra, Murex, Strombus, etc. (See PI. XII.) The newer Mio- 

 cene of our Atlantic coast was evidently a time of cooler waters, 

 and a similar change took place in Europe. 



The terrestrial Vertebrates of the interior are of much interest. 

 Little is known of Miocene Birds in this country, but in Europe 

 they are abundantly preserved and are of distinctly African 

 character. Parrots, Indian Swallows, Secretary Birds, Adjutants, 

 Cranes, Flamingoes, Ibises, Pelicans, Sand-grouse, and numerous 

 Gallinaceous birds, were mingled with birds of European type, such 

 as Eagles, Owls, Woodpeckers, Gulls, Ducks, etc. 



The Mammals of the John Day are much like those of the 

 White River Oligocene, but are more modernized and advanced. 

 Ancient types, like the Creodonts, Anthracotheres, Titanotheres, 

 aquatic and cursorial Rhinoceroses, have died out, while the Car- 

 nivores and Rodents greatly increase in numbers and variety. In 

 Europe the Lower Miocene mammals are very similar to those of 

 North America, but one marked difference is in the profusion of 

 true Ruminants, of which the western continent had none. 



Between the John Day and the Loup Fork is a long gap, as is 

 also the case in Europe ; consequently the change in the mammals 

 seems very abrupt. The change consists partly in the extinction 

 of old types, partly in the immigration of new forms, and partly in 

 the development of the native stocks to more advanced grades. 

 New arrivals are the Mastodons, a primitive type of elephant, and 

 the true Ruminants. The earliest American forms of the latter 

 (B/astomeryx and Cosoryx) have curious horns, somewhat like 



