bot Pace 
1894.] Geology and Paleontology. 339 
and in those of the other countries above cited.” (Proceeds. Congrés. 
Internatl. de. Zool. Deuxiéme Sess. a Moscou, 1892. Deuxième Partie 
Moscou, 1893.) 
Coasts of Bering Sea and Vicinity.—Mr. G. M. Dawson’s 
notes on some of the coasts and islands of Bering Sea confirm the 
theory of a former land connection of Asia and North America in that 
region. Soundings in Bering Sea show that the continental plateau 
of North America extends westward in Bering Sea, meeting with 
that of Asia in the vicinity of Cape Navarin, north latitude about 
60°. The available evidence shows that this submarine plateau, 
together with much of the flat land of western Alaska, was covered 
by a shallow sea during the later part of the Miocene period. The 
formation of the Aleutian Islands began in the late Eocene or early 
Miocene, continued with vigor during Miocene, and later in an inter- 
mittent way up to the present time. No traces of glaciation by land 
ice were found in the Bering Sea region, and the absence of erratics 
above the sea-line shows that it was never submerged for any length of 
time below ice-encumbered waters. (Bull. Geol. Soc. Am. Vol. 5, 
1894), 
The Age of the Pliocene Mammalian Fauna of the Central 
Plateau of France.—M. Deperet recognizes two distinct and suc- 
cessive mammalian faunas in the different Pliocene horizons of Italy, 
France and England. First, an older one, belonging to the lower and 
middle Pliocene. It is characterized by a great number of old extinct 
forms, as Hippotherium, Hyaenarctos, Paleoryx, Dolichopithecus, 
many of the Glires, large Monkeys with Asiatic affinities, Antilopes 
related to the African species, and by the rarity of the relative sim- 
plicity of the horns of the Cervide. The absence of Equus, Bos and 
Elephas constitutes a negative character throughout all Europe, Sec- 
ond, a more recent fauna, found only in the upper Pliocene. The old 
genera, except the Mastodon, haye disappeared ; the horse supplants 
Hipparion; Bovide appear for the first time in Europe; Monkeys 
Persist in Italy ; Elephas meridionalis is found nearly everywhere with 
astodon arvernensis and M. borsoni. i 
In Italy the old fauna is badly represented by sporadic débris, but 
the recent types are found abundantly in the brackish and fluviatile 
deposits which overlie the marine Pliocene of Astesan, and in the flu- 
Viatile gravels in the valley of the Arno. 
a 
