1896.] on Marine Organisms, &c. 11 



The various points touclaed upon regarding the distribution of 

 marine organisms, might be explained on the hypothesis that in early 

 geological times there was a nearly uniform high temperature over the 

 whole surface of the globe, and a nearly uniformly distributed fauna 

 and flora ; and that with the gradual cooling at the poles, species with 

 pelagic larvse were killed out or forced to migrate towards the tropics, 

 while the great majority of the species which were able to survive in 

 the polar areas were those inhabiting the mud-line. The uniform 

 physical conditions here referred to might be explained by adopting 

 the views of Blandet * as to the greater size and nebulous character 

 of the sun in the earlier ages of the earth's history. 

 [J- M.] 



* Bull. Soc. geol. de France, ser. 2, t. xxv. p. 777, 1868. 



