GEOLOGY. 317 



valley, but of less depth, takes its rise, in a direction from south to northeast 

 between Madeira and the Azores; it loses itself close to the coast of Oporto. 

 If we may attribute any importance to these very general data, we must 

 admit that during the miocene period the maritime plateau above indicated 

 was solid ground. This country, this ancient Atlantis, would have had the 

 same plants as central miocene Europe, of which the remains are found in 

 the molasse of Switzerland in such astonishing profusion, that I shall be able 

 to give descriptions and figures of about six hundred species in my " Flora 

 Tertiaria." On the coast of this country the marine shells presented a great 

 conformity in America and Europe; and this remarkable phenomenon is still 

 reproduced, that Europe has more littoral than deep-sea species of shells and 

 fishes in common with America; which proves that at one period a band of 

 firm ground must have united these two parts of the world. The Atlantic 

 islands had already risen towards the south coasts of this continent at the 

 diluvian period. That this country was at the bottom of the sea during the 

 miocene epoch, is shown by the fossil shells of Porto Santo and St. Vincent 

 in Madeira and those of the Azores; but that it had emerged at the diluvian 

 period is proved by the terrestrial mollusca of Canieal, and the fossil plants 

 of St. Jorge in Madeira. 



The islands formed at this epoch would have received their vegetation 

 from the Atlantis in the diluvian period, and consequently at an epoch when 

 this continent had entered upon a new phase of development. If we suppose, 

 that then, by a subsequent depression of the soil, the connection with 

 America was destroyed, and subsequently that which existed with Europe, 

 we shall obtain the elements for the explanation of the existing flora of 

 these islands. "We there find the remains of the flora of the ancient Atlantis, 

 and, in consequence, many types of the Tertiary flora are retained there 

 whilst they have disappeared in Europe. These remains, with a certain 

 number of other species, form the peculiar plants of these isles, correspond- 

 ing in part with the American species, because they have issued from the 

 same centre of formation. But it is with Europe that these islands have the 

 most species in common, probably because their connection with this conti- 

 nent lasted longer. 



At the diluvian period the flora of central Europe was displaced by great 

 changes of climate (extension of glaciers, etc.); and as by the depression of 

 the Atlantis the connection with America was destroyed, the new European 

 vegetation could not extend on that side, but only towards the east. It is 

 thus that the characters of the new vegetation would be explained, particu- 

 larly that of the lower countries, whilst the Alps and the north have under- 

 gone less change. This also is the reason of the great analogies which occur 

 between the north of Europe, Asia and America. I arrive, therefore, at this 

 same conclusion with yourself as regards these latter countries, namely, that 

 the alpine vegetation is certainly the most ancient in our country, and that 

 subsequently, when the climate became wanner, after the glacial epoch, it rose 

 from the low countries to the mountains and Alps. Ann. Mag. Xat. Hist. 



ON THE REMAINS OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS DISCOVERED AMONG 

 POST-PLEIOCENE FOSSILS IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 



The above is the title of a pamphlet recently published by Prof. F. S. 

 Holmes, the well-known palaeontologist of South Carolina, adducing evi- 

 dence to show that, among the fossils collected in South Carolina, from beds 



27* 



