156 



University of California Publications. 



[Geology 



scattered over a large area, in many places showing' on the sur- 

 face. The thickness of the bone layers is not constant ; in some 

 places the bones are considerably scattered and in other places 

 there are large quantities in small areas. The bones are for the 

 most part well preserved, but in many cases they have been infil- 

 trated with asphaltum and are exceedingly brittle. 



In a recent article Professor J. C. Merriam 1 has stated that 

 there are associated with these cats in these asphalt deposits the 

 remains of other mammals such as Elephas, Equus, Bison, a 

 mylodont, a camel, and also those of large birds. Such animals 

 would on being mired down in the soft asphaltum become the 

 prey of the carnivores, and the latter in turn would be caught in 

 the gummy bitumen. 



A specimen which must also be classed with the asphaltum 

 material is the type of Macliaerodus ischyrus from Asphalto, 

 Kern County. The type, a mandible, was found in association 

 with asphalt deposits. 



Only one species, Felis imperialis Leidy, is known from the 

 alluvial deposits of California. This was found in Livermore 

 Valley a number of years ago and was sold to Wabash College, 

 Indiana. The exact locality has not been recorded, so that there 

 is a possibility that this form is Pliocene. If Pliocene, it is the 

 only Californian feline known that is older than the Qaternary. 



To the material already mentioned must be added that from 

 the caves of northern California. Numerous more or less frag- 

 mentary specimens have been found by Mr. Furlong and Dr. 

 Sinclair in the deposits of Samwel Cave and Potter Creek Cave 

 on the Mc Cloud River. The best known of the cave cats is Felis hip- 

 polestes Merriam, C. H., found in the Samwel Cave by Mr. E. L. 

 Furlong.- Several mandibles with the dentition were found in 

 the Potter Creek Cave. 3 These all correspond quite closely to the 

 cats now living in California. 



The author's studies on the Quaternary Felidae were carried 

 on under the supervision of Professor J. C. Merriam, to whom I 



1 Science N. S., Vol. XXIV, No. 608, pp. 248-250. 

 - Am. Jour. Sei. X. S., Vol. XX, No. 497, pp. 53-55. 



3 Sinclair, W. J., Univ. Calif. Pub. Am. Arch, and Eth., Vol. 2, No. 1, 

 p. 17. 



