ClIAITER Vir. 



SPECIES AND SPACE. 



The geof^raplnciil distriliiition of animals presoTits diffipulties. — These not 

 insurmountable in themselves ; harmonize with otlier difliculties. — 

 Fresli-watev fislies. — Forms common to Africa and India ; to Africa and 

 South America ; to China and Australia ; to North America and China ; 

 to New Zealand and South America ; to South America and Tas- 

 mania ; to South America and Australia. — Pleurodont lizards. — insec- 

 tivorous mammals. — Similarity of European and South Anierican frogs. 

 — Analogy between f^uropoan salmon and fishes of New Zealand, &c. — 

 An ancient Antarctic continent probable. — Other modes of accounting 

 for facts of distribution. — Independent origin of closely similar fonns. 

 — Conclnsion, 



The study of the distribution of animals over the earth's 

 surface presents us with many facts liaving certain not 

 unimportant bearings on the question of specific origin. 

 Amongst these are instances which, at least at first sight, 

 appear to conflict with the Darwiniaa theory of " Natural 

 Selection." It is not, however, here contended that such 

 facto do by any means constitute of themselves obstacles 

 which cannot be got over. Indeed, it would be difficult 

 to imagine any obstacles of the kind which could not be 

 surmounted by an indefinite number of terrestrial modi- 

 fications of surface — submergences and emergences — 

 junctions and separations of continents in all directions, 

 and combinations of any desired degree of frequency. 



M 2 



