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The Proboscidea, or Trunked Animals, which family is represented in this age only by the families of elephants, which have a peculiar appendage called a "trunk," which they use as an additional limb; The Carnivora, or Flesh-eaters, represented by numerous and various forms, such as the seal, the bear, the weasel, the wolf, the dog, the lion, the tiger, the leopard, etc.
The total Miocene fauna comprises many genera, and species of Catarrhine Apes, of Bats, of Insectivora; of Arctogaeal types of Rodentia; of Proboscidea; of equine, rhinocerotic, and tapirine quadrupeds; of cameline, bovine, antilopine, cervine, and traguline Ruminants; of Pigs and Hippopotamuses; of Viverridae and Hyaenidae among other Carnivora; with Edentata allied to the Arctogaeal Orycteropus and Manis, and not to the Austro-Columbian Edentates.
M. Gaudry has arranged the species of Hyoenidoe, Proboscidea, Rhinocerotidoe, and Equidoe in their order of filiation from their earliest appearance in the Miocene epoch to the present time, and Professor Rütimeyer has drawn up similar schemes for the Oxen and other Ungulata with what, I am disposed to think, is a fair and probable approximation to the order of nature.
M. Gaudry has arranged the species of Hyaenidae, Proboscidea, Rhinocerotidae, and Equidae in their order of filiation from their earliest appearance in the Miocene epoch to the present time, and Professor Rütimeyer has drawn up similar schemes for the Oxen and other Ungulata with what, I am disposed to think, is a fair and probable approximation to the order of nature.
The total Miocene fauna comprises many genera and species of Catarrhine Apes, of Bats, of Insectivora; of Arctogaeal types of Rodentia; of Proboscidea; of equine, rhinocerotic, and tapirine quadrupeds; of cameline, bovine, antilopine, cervine, and traguline Ruminants; of Pigs and Hippopotamuses; of Viverridoe and Hyoenidoe among other Carnivora; with Edentata allied to the Aretogaeal Oryeteropus and Manis, and not to the Austro-Columbian Edentates.
On our way across the camp we saw a great quantity of the seeds of the Martynia proboscidea, mouse-burrs as they call them, devil's claws or toe-nails: they are curious-looking things, as the annexed woodcut will show.
The mode of origin of the Monodelphia from these is a very difficult problem, for the most part left open by Professor Haeckel. As regards the latter question, I have little doubt that the Sirenia connect the Ungulata with the Proboscidea; and none, that the Cetacea are extremely modified Carnivora. The passage between the Seals and the Cetacea by Zeuglodon is complete.
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