156 EXPLANATIONS. 



occuiTed in Europe : " The species now living 

 and some others, were created at the commence- 

 ment of the diluvial epoch. Partial inundations 

 and changes of temperature caused some of them 

 to perish, such as the mammoth, the species of 

 bear having an arched forehead, the hyaenas, the 

 stag with gigantic horns, the rhinoceros, hippopo- 

 tamus, &c. ; but the greater number of the species 

 escaped these causes of destruction, and still live. 

 Besides those which I have mentioned, and others 

 which I have noticed in the body of my work, it is 

 possible, for example, that the Ursus Priscus may 

 he the original of recent bears, etc. It may be 

 said," he adds, " that this idea is opposed to the 

 theory of the peculiarity of species in each forma- 

 tion, and to that of successive creations . . . but I 

 cannot, on that account, refuse to adopt an explana- 

 tion of facts which seems to me evident. The state of 

 theoretical palaeontology is still too uncertain to 

 allow of our attaching ourselves too strongly to 

 this or that hypothesis. It is the study of facts 

 which is essential, and w^e must engage in that 

 study unbiassed by preconceived ideas or parti- 

 cular systems."* I would commend this opinion of 



* Traite Elementaire de Paleontologie ; i. 359,1844. Apiul 

 Jameson's Journal, Oct. 1845. 



