PROCEEDINGS OF PROVINCIAL SOCIETIES. 123 



Jaguar and the Puma/' and the remarks upon the production and 

 preservation of this species were extremely interesting. Roam- 

 ing within the immense and gloomy forests, beyond the pursuit of 

 their greatest foe — supplied with sufficient food by the multiplicity 

 of animals, and supported by an atmosphere which is the very em- 

 bryo of life. The lecturer then enumerated and compared some 

 of those prodigious creatures inhabiting the African and Asiatic 

 regions, which seem to be the type of those monsters whose re- 

 mains call forth our wonder and admiration — the emblems of 

 remote time. 



Mr. Ryland pointed out the distinction between the African and 

 Asiatic Elephant and Rhinoceros, also the Dromedary and Camel, 

 the Hippopotamus, the Tapir, the beautiful Giraffe, the Zebras 

 and Quaggas, frequenting the plains of South Africa, and the 

 innumerable herds of Antelopes, constituting a striking peculiarity 

 of South African zoology. 



The lecturer continued his subject with much interest through th^e 

 numerous animals ; thence to the birds of this division — as the 

 Eagle, Condor, the Humming-birds, the dazzling-coloured Rollers, 

 the magnificent Plantain-eater, and a whole host of gorgeous crea- 

 tures, on whom Nature seems almost to have exhausted her powers 

 of beauty. 



The reptiles appertaining to these regions exhibit the same gi- 

 gantic form as other creatures — the huge monsters, that rise as if 

 engendered from the slimy rivers by the rays of the burning sun, 

 are but the type of the vast Megalosauri. The serpents and 

 smaller reptiles were included in this description, and the account of 

 the Ants, those " mighty pioneers," was highly instructive. 



The first division was concluded by an examination of the insect 

 class. As with the higher species of animals of this latitude, the 

 production and increase of insect life is, beyond calculation, favoured 

 by the same prolific causes. The pied colours of these creatures were 

 represented as rivaling, in intensity, the dazzling lustre of metals. 

 Like the Bratrachian family, the Gnat, Bee, and Fly seem citizens 

 of the whole world, appearing in myriads wherever there is an 

 asphaltis to engender them. JMr. Ryland gave a short and pleasing 

 account of the zoology of Australia — as the marsupial animals, &c. 



Such is a very imperfect outline of this first part of the lecture, 

 which was completed by an enumeration of the animals of the tem- 

 perate zone, including that portion of the globe between the 30th 

 and 60th degrees of latitude, comprising the immense continent of 

 North America (exclusive of Mexico), that part of Africa bordering 

 upon the Mediterranean, all Europe, except Norway, Sweden, 

 Lapland, part of Russia, &c. In each boundaiy running into the 

 torrid and frigid zones, the animals are distinguished by a resem- 

 blance of either north or south, according to their geographical con- 

 tiguity. The predacious quadrupeds, as the Tiger, Hyenas, Jackalls, 

 of the southern. Bears, Wolves, Foxes, Badgers, Racoons, &c., &c., 

 of the northern parts of this division. 



