FOSSILS. 215 



ceptions; on the other hand, although the now 

 existing animals of one country are not found fossil- 

 ized in another; yet fossil animals, and these refer- 

 able to one epoch, are found, we believe, in all coun- 

 tries known ; arguments which seem to prove that, 

 as a general rule, every country, as at the present 

 period, possessed animals peculiar to itself, and that 

 they perished where they had lived ; and, lastly, that 

 as the present tribes of animals are no where found in 

 a fossil state, and as we cannot comprehend how the 

 whole earth was supplied with its present creatures 

 from one focus. Mount Ararat, there must have been 

 a re-creation of organised beings in separate por- 

 tions of the world since the time of the great deluge. 

 Irrespectively of any considerations connected with 

 fossils, I remember that I have arrived at the same 

 conclusion, in my paper on the " Geography of Ani- 

 mals," before published. If the whole of organic 

 nature were situated on a vast continent, we need 

 not doubt but that each plant and animal would soon 

 take up a residence suited to its peculiar nature and 

 wants : but how shall we understand the reason that 

 islands, and parts of the earth inaccessible to all 

 creatures but man, should be also populated with 

 animals, and these possessing forms different from 

 those of the Fauna of the adjoining continent. The 

 naturalist need not here be reminded of the well- 

 known examples of this fact. Nor need we hesitate 

 to give our ready assent to the proposition of some 

 authors, — that former races of animals were gov- 

 erned by laws of geographical distribution — that 

 they had their appointed limits equally with those 

 of the present day ; — although it were to be wished 

 that the number of facts in support of this were 

 multiplied. The sum of all we know, respecting 

 the Mosaic Deluge, seems to be, that it overspread 

 the whole earth, presenting a continuous sheet of 

 waters, and that on its subsidence, the ocean as- 

 sumed a different position to that it previously 

 occupied — a conclusion gathered from the deficiency 



