Mistaken View of the Subject. ^ 



centre at the beginning of the creation, and during the dif- 

 ferent successive geological periods, we have at once a strong 

 indication that neither has such been the case with the ani- 

 mals of the present day ; and, on the other hand, if there 

 were satisfactory evidence that the animals and plants now 

 living originated from a common centre, we should consider 

 the matter carefully before trusting to the views derived from 

 geological facts. Let us, therefore, examine first the value of 

 the evidence on both sides. 



We have already expressed, and we repeat here, our earnest 

 belief that the view of a unique centre of origin and distribu- 

 tion rests chiefly upon the supposed authority of the Mosaic 

 record ; and is in no way sustained by evidence derived from 

 investigations in natural history. On the contrary, wherever 

 we trace the animals in their present distributions, we find 

 them scattered over the surface of our globe in such a manner, 

 according to such laws, and under such special adaptations, 

 that it would baffle the most fanciful imagination to conceive 

 such an arrangement as the mere results of migrations, or of 

 the influence of physical causes over the dispersion of both 

 animals and plants. For we find that all animals and plants 

 of the arctic zones agree in certain respects and are uniform 

 over the three continents which verge towards the northern 

 pole, whilst those of the temperate zone agree also in certain 

 respects, but difi^er somewhat from each other within definite 

 limits, in the respective continents. And the differences grow 

 more and more prominent as we approach the tropical zone, 

 which has its peculiar Fauna and Flora in each continent ; so 

 much so, that it is impossible for us to conceive such a normal 

 arrangement, unless it be the result of a premeditated plan, 

 carried out voluntarily according to predetermined laws. . 



The opinion which is considered as the Biblical view of the 

 case, and according to which all animals have originated in 

 a common centre, would leave us at a loss for any cause by 

 which to account for the special dispersion of animals and 

 plants beyond the mere necessity of removing from the 

 crowded ground to assume wider limits, as their increased 

 number made it constantly more and more necessary and im- 

 perative. According to this view, the animals of the arctic 



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