GEOGRAPHY OF ANIMALS IN SOUTH DEVON. 87 



imity to the sea, however, must not universally imply 

 mildness and equability of climate, for as the east- 

 ern shore of the old world experiences very inclement 

 winters, it appears that those winds which arrive 

 from the face of the Atlantic, to the western shores 

 of Europe, and which indeed are prevalent in those 

 situations, impart to them the character of climate 

 we have just mentioned : it is certainly a common 

 observation with us, that our climate is variable ; 

 but this variation is remarked only from day to dav, 

 and may thus indeed appear greater,while our integral 

 climate is doubtless pretty uniform. Equality of 

 temperature, and humidity, seem to be its charac- 

 teristic features ; great heat, or cold, drought, or 

 rains, placidity and storms, its variety and uncertain 

 products. Such being the case, let us now see to 

 what extent animals are affected by these conditions. 

 If these conditions do not approximate to extremes, 

 we are led to conclude, that a variety in the animal 

 kingdom would appear in our list ; and such is ab- 

 solutely the fact. We can easily imagine, that, 

 although our summers are not so hot as those of 

 France, Italy, or Holland, we should yet perceive 

 some traces in our fauna of animals, found princi- 

 pally in such climates ; which may be either our 

 transient visitors for a season, or else be indigenous, 

 though few, on the principal of their geographical 

 limits, or range. We can also easily comprehend, 

 that although our winters are milder than certain 

 countries to our north, yet we should participate in 

 the fauna of cold regions, on the same principle ; 

 and this brings us to speak of migration, as a con- 

 sequence of climate or temperature. We have al- 

 ready said, that there are other causes of change in 

 situation besides this, and these must be noticed 

 hereafter, yet, as this appears to be the chief impulse 

 to it, we shall here mention it more fully. Migra- 

 tions may be stated to be of two kinds ; that which 

 takes place between any given countries, and that 

 which occurs within the limits of any certain coun- 



