On American Geological History, 42^9 



In the Triassic, none ; Europe, one thousand species. In the Ju- 

 rassic, (the supposed Triassic here included) sixty ; Europe, over 

 four thousand. In the Cretaceous, three hundred and fifty to four 

 hundred : Europe, five to six thousand. In the Tertiary, hardly 

 fifteen hundred ; Europe, about eight thousand. 



America, since Palaeozoic times, has therefore been eminent 

 for the poverty of its Fauna. 



Again : the Mammalian Age in America, although commenc- 

 ing with huge Pachyderms, shows little progress afterward. The 

 larger quadrupeds continue to be mostly herbivorous, and the 

 Carnivora, the higher group, are few and of comparatively small 

 size. The Herhivora are still tht tyjncal species. While in Eu" 

 rope and Asia, at the same time, — that is, in the Post-tertiary, — 

 the Carnivora are of great size and ferocity, far exceeding the 

 largest of modern Lions and Tigers, and they exist in immense 

 numbers. The single species of Lion described by Dr. Leidy, 

 from a bone from near Natchez, hardly lessens the contrast. 



South America, as has been remarked by Agassiz and others, 

 sustains the inferior position of America. The huge Sloths, Me- 

 gatheria, and other Edentates of the South, are even lower in grade 

 than the ordinary Herbivora, and place that Southern conti- 

 nent at an inferior level in the scale. Although there were Car- 

 nivora, they were much smaller than the European. The Eden- 

 tates are its tyincal species. 



The supremacy of the great Oriental continent is, therefore, 

 most sigTially apparent. 



The contrast is still greater with Australia and New Zealand, 

 whose past and present Fauna and Flora have been well said by 

 Agassiz and Owen to represent the Jurassic Period, — the pres- 

 ent era affording Trigonias, Terebratulse, Cestraciout Fishes, and 

 the Araucarian Coniferse, all Jurassic types, besides Kangaroos 

 and Moas. Among Mammals, as is well known, the Marsupials^ 

 the lowest of all in the class, are its typical species. 



Ever since Palaeozoic times, therefore, the Oriental Continent, 

 — that is Europe, Asia, and Africa combined, — has taken the 

 lead in animal life. Through the Reptilian Age, Europe and 

 Asia had species by thousands, while America was almost unte- 

 nanted. In the later Mammalian Age, North America was yet 

 in the shade, both in its Mammals and lower tribes ; South Ame- 

 rica in still darker shadows ; and Australia even deeper still. 

 The earth's antipodes were like light and darkness in their zoolo- 



