1880.] 



JTistorij of tJie Fossil Vertehmtn of India. 



31 



they are found. It seems, however, even with our present knowledge, to 

 be pretty safe to say that the numerical strength of species of the 

 larger mammals so characteristic of the Mio-Pliocene had disappeared in the 

 Pleistocene. From the older alluvium of the Jamna river, mammalian bones 

 have been obtained in considerable quantities, but only two species have been 

 satisfactorily determined ; the remaining bones have only been generically 

 named, and are, therefore, not referred to here, as it is in many cases 

 impossible to say whether they belong to living or to extinct species. 

 The presence of Hippopotamus remains in a stratum is pretty good 

 evidence of such stratum being not newer than the Pleistocene. The 

 discovery of a molar and canine of this genus in the alluvia of the Pem- 

 ganga river, by Mr. Fedden, consequently shows that some of those deposits 

 should be referred to the Pleistocene. In many cases, as in the delta of 

 the Ganges, it is often most difficult, or impossible, to draw the line between 

 the Pleistocene deposits and the Kecent alluvium of the same area. 



In the laterite of Madras, stone implements, and a human tibia have 

 been found by Mr. Foote, and are assigned to the Pleistocene hy Profes- 

 sor Boyd-Dawkins. Stone implements have likewise been obtained from 

 the ossiferous beds of the Narbada valley, in association with the remains 

 of extinct mammals. The mammalian fauna of the Narbada beds comprises, 

 among the Cam i vera, a species of bear (TIrsus namadicus) , named by the 

 authors of the ' Fauna Antiqua Sivalensis' on the evidence of a portion of 

 the maxilla with the molar dentition : this sjiecimen is now in the British 

 Museum, presented by Captain Frazer.* Among the Proboscidia, we have 

 the extinct Euelejihas nnmadicm, characterized by the extraordinary ridge 

 on the forehead ; the molars of this species are very like those of the Eu- 

 ropean UlepJias antiquus, from wliich Professor Leith Adams has thouglit that 

 the Indian and European forms might belong to the same species. Stegodon 

 was represented by S. ganesa and, jDossibly, by S. insignis. Among the fossil 

 perissodactyles of the Pleistocene, we have Rhinoceros deccanensisf of Mr. 

 Foote from the Deccan, a species without permanent lower incisoi's, and 

 shewing African aiRnities ; and from the Narbada the living S. indicus, 

 remains of which were at first named R. iiamadicus. A third species 

 (R. namadiciis) probably also existed in the Pleistocene. The horses are 

 represented by Equus namadicus,X as yet not fully described. Among 



* F. A. S. plate 0. I have elsewhere mentioned a species of FcUs from the Nar- 

 bada beds, the determination having heen made on the evidence of the olecranal por- 

 tion of an ulna in the old collection of the Geological Survey ; the history of the 

 specimen is, however, imknown, and from its mineral condition I am by no means sure 

 that it is from the Narbada. 



t Pal. Ind. Ser. X, Vol. I. 



X Faun. Ant. Siv. E. pahcoiins seems to be the young of E. ntonadicus. 



