MAMMALS OF MINNESOTA. 11 



of station within those habitats. Although there are no alpine 

 or strictly mountainous regions in the state the diversity of 

 surface and soil is considerable. The vast number of glacial 

 pools carries the habitat of the musk rat far into the prairie belt. 

 The prevalence of coniferous trees in the northern part of the 

 state exerts a very pronounced influence upon its fauna. The 

 opportunity to study the gradual changes in the same species 

 as it crosses the imperceptible but most real boundary separat- 

 ing these several habitats is of the greatest value for a compre- 

 hension of the bearing of evolution and the proper definition of 

 a "species." 



Another field for investigation is not less interesting than the 

 above mentioned. The language of a people, and especially of 

 a rude people, is influenced to a high degree by the external 

 objects which furnish the mind with the earliest conceptions 

 and the tongue with the first-framed words. Animated nature, 

 and especially those animals whose large size and close rela- 

 tions with the individual naturally excite interest, have a large 

 share of influence. The psychologist is interested to know 

 what phases of animal-life have made the most vivid impress- 

 ion upon different tribes and to thus read the temperament and 

 mental endowment of aboriginal people in their language. 

 The philologist studies with no less interest, although from a 

 different stand-point, the effect of animals upon the various 

 languages. If the prominent beasts of prey have identical or 

 similar names in distant tribes, he seeks to discover whether 

 consanguinity or previous accidental propinquity was the 

 occasion. 



Archaeology has by similar means succeeded in forming a 

 vivid picture of the domestic life of early European times, 

 while in this country little attention has as yet been directed to 

 the subject. 



The effects of external objects upon the human mind are seen 

 in pictorial representations almost as soon as in vocal imitations 

 of properties possessed by them or verbal signs for them. The 

 picture writing of the savage is most highly interesting not 

 only as furnishing information regarding his own method of 

 life but of the previous range of extinct animals or such as 

 have since migrated. In this way the contemporaneous exist- 

 ence of man and the mammoth has been proven in Europe, and 

 genuine and well authenticated aboriginal carvings should be 

 carefully collected and studied, as well by the biologist as the 

 archaeologist. Among the ancients various animal as well as 



