430 ItcplTj to J. P. on the Use of Ilorse-Chesnuis. [Dec. I, 



of iho .inimals and vegetables whofe foffil 

 Jemiiins are found buried in tlie earth,now 

 no longer exift. Others again, ;is Delamc- 

 theric, agre.e with Hunter in thinkint; 

 that the minute ditTerences perceptible 

 between many tbllils and tlieir exillinf; 

 rel'emblances, are only to be confulcrcd 

 06 the confequence ot' a clianiie of" cli- 

 mate, temperature, ike, and that much 

 greater differences prevail between the 

 bones of a fpanieJ, a greyhound, a bull- 

 dog, &c. 



It has been already obfcn'ed that fof- 

 fils frequently difplay vegolahlcs, infects, 

 /hells, lilhes, and reptiles, apparently in 

 all rcfpecls ilmilar to thofe that are now 

 in exjftence.- With refpcCt to birds, 

 their rc.liqui<£ arc too few to enable us 

 to decide how far they arc analogous to 

 anv of the fame ciafs now in being. 



'J he folVil remains of mannnalia are 

 more abundant, and frequently fo dif- 

 tinc'lly characterized, as to warrant us in 

 affirming that they are analogous to the 

 bones of the fame clafs of animals at 

 f refcnt'in cxiftence. 



Cuvicr himfelf, who fuppnrts the con- 

 irary hypothciis, allows that the foilil 

 bones of the Iiip|)opotamus are funilar to 

 thofe of the living animal. The fame 

 .thinf; may be atVirnicd of the foflil mar- 

 jnofe, or marine opollum, defciibed by 

 the fame naturahu. Let any one com- 

 pare the bones of she foffil and the living 

 jnarmofe, and he will be convinced that 

 the differences between them are much 

 Icfs confidcralile than thofe which exift 

 between the iXelcton of a handfomc 

 white man and that of a T/aplander or a 

 Negro of New Guinea, or thofe which 

 are daily perceived between the varieties 

 of the fame fpet-ies. 



The flight diii'erenccs obfervable be- 

 tween bones in oihor rcfpefts j»orfe6fly 

 fimilar, cannot then ailbrd fullicicnt 

 grounds to conclude that they belong to 

 animals of a diftereut fiiccies. 



The following refults are fairly dcdu- 

 ciblc from the facts already known on 

 tljis inttreftirig fubjeft. 



1. There are a coafid<M-able number of 

 fjflils anwlogoug to cxilliiig animals and 

 vegetables. 



2. There are likew:ife a great number 

 nF which we have iio cxifting rcfein- 

 bl.mccs. But it is probable their living 

 counterpart mav at fomc future period 

 be difcoi'ered m, regions hitherto uiir 

 CAjjlored by naturalifh. - 



3. .Climate, temperature, food, mnliJ- 

 ftJication of ditTercii.t faces, new hybrid 

 jjjtcics, itc, have in tht' pxogrcfs of time 



produced confiderable changes Rmonj 

 exilling fpecies. 



4. Some new fpecies have been pro- 

 duced, fince obfervers fuppofe they hav« 

 difcovered new fpecies of anmialcules up- 

 on the larger fpecies of animals. It iit 

 however evident, that all the animalcul«8 

 muft have been produced polleriorly ta 

 the animals on which they live. 



.5. There remains not a doubt that 

 feveral fpecies have been dellroyed by 

 the drying up of extenfive lakes and 

 inland leas, by the dellruCtive agenty of 

 ci\ilized man, and by particular accidents. 



For example, we are informed by Bofc, 

 that the Dioiitea muj'cipula has only hi- 

 therto been found in the finall fpace of 

 two or three fquare leagues, in North 

 America, fo that by grubbing up iti 

 roots, and cultivating this fpot of ground, 

 it niii;ht lie ealily dellroyed. 



The condor, giralfe, &c., are now re- 

 duced to a very fmall number of indivi- 

 duals, ai;d might with the greatell eafe be 

 wholly extir()ated. 



i\ll the feeble fpecies of animals at 

 prefeut exiliing in iS'ew Holland, fuch a« 

 the kangaroo, 6i.c., will, it is highly pro- 

 bable, wholly difappear on the peopling 

 of that country. 



On the whole, tiierefore, gcologlfu 

 ought never to lofe fight of thefe fa6ts, iu 

 comparing foffil remains with living ani- 

 mals and vegetables. 



To the Editor of tht Monthli/ Magazine^, 



SII?, 



WILLIAM ELLIS, of Hertforddiire, 

 on " tho Nature and Ufe of fu- 

 reign and Britilh Timber," treats of the 

 grafting, inoculating, cliaratter, and uie 

 of the horfe-chcfuut tree, and obferves, 

 " it is to he wilhed that we more univer- 

 fally propagated the horfe-chefnut, which 

 being eahly increafed from layers, grow* 

 into a goodly ftandard, and bears a moll 

 glorious flower, even in our cold coun- 

 try." 



" This timber is much ufed for avenues, 

 in France, and now in fome parts of 

 England too." There were many tree* 

 growing in the author's tiurc at Ilighgate, 

 Fulham, and Chelfea.. " I'his tree was 

 ilrll brought from Conftantinople to Vi- 

 enna, thence into Italy, and lb to France, 

 but to us from the Lfcvant.'' 



" It flouriflies fo well in England, that 

 wvjiave ample encouragement to denizen 

 othcr""ltravigers among us." It yearly 

 bcar.s a fervjceablc fruit for feeding deer 

 und'jwim. The nuts may be made uiuch 



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