122 PROCEEDINGS OP PROVINCIAL SOCIETIES. 



BIRMINGHAM PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTION. 



We regret exceedingly that Mr. Ryland's lectures " On the 

 (xeographical Classification of Animals," were delivered so late in 

 the month, as it would otherwise have given us pleasure to have 

 inserted a fuller abstract than we are now enabled to do, from the 

 pages of The Analyst being nearly pre-occupied before their delivery. 

 In the following summary we by no means do justice to these lectures; 

 but we can conscientiously express our admiration of their merits. 



Mr. Ryland introduced his first lecture by some remarks upon 

 the earliest records of animal existence being coeval with the Noa- 

 chian deluge, and their distribution over the earth. It is gratify- 

 ing to behold those sacred truths which seem identified with our 

 existence, upheld by the reasonings of philosophy, which, from mis- 

 understandino: and evil prejudices, has too long been rejected by the 

 religious mind, as an enemy to its faith. The lecturer rested his 

 opinions upon the Scriptures, not opposing, but, by facts, carrying 

 out and confirming, the divine declarations, by the discoveries of 

 the natural philosopher. 



As soil and vegetation depend especially upon atmospherical tem- 

 perature, exhibiting in their character so many changes in the dif- 

 ferent regions of the globe, with which animal existence always 

 corresponds, both in structure and habits, the " geographical distri- 

 bution of animals" must be regulated according to the peculiarities 

 of the various species. 



" "We observe," says Mr. Ryland, " in the first place, that the number of 

 animals, of almost every description, is far greater in the warmer regions 

 of the earth than in the colder climes. The degree of heat in the torrid zone 

 appears to be favourable both to the increase of the number, and the deve- 

 lopment of the size, of animated beings ; and as we advance towards the 

 poles the number of hving creatures diminishes, till we come to latitudes 

 where the cold is so intense that man, with all his resources, is unable to 

 maintain existence. The same observations hold good with regard to the 

 vegetable world : in tropical countries we find the greatest exuberance of 

 vegetation ; without culture of any kind, the surface of the earth is covered 

 with innumerable plants, shrubs, and trees, of gigantic size. Almost the 

 only limits to the extension of vegetable nature are formed by the decrease 

 in the temperature of the air, andby the absence of humidity." 



In order to observe more particularly the effect of temperature 

 upon the geographical distribution of animals, Mr. Ryland proposed 

 the simple plan of dividing the earth into three separate climates, 

 each comprising 60 degrees of latitude. First, the torrid or tropical 

 climate, extending 30 degrees on each side the equator ; the tem- 

 perate climate next in succession, bounded by the north and south 

 latitude ; and lastly, the frigid zone, which completes the third 

 division of the globe. 



Mr. Ryland enumerated the animals of the torrid climate, begin- 

 ing with the type of the Felidae — the Lion, Tiger, Leopards, &c., 

 as now confined to the burning regions of the tropics ; " comparing 

 these ferocious and huge anim,als with those of South America — the 



