244 EVOLUTION [Chap. Ill 



letter 172 To H. Falconer. 



Dec. 26th [1863]. 

 Thank you for telling me about the Pliocene mammal, 

 which is very remarkable ; but has not Owen stated that the 

 Pliocene badger is identical with the recent ? Such a case 

 does indeed well show the stupendous duration of the same 

 form. I have not heard of Suess' pamphlet, 1 and should much 

 like to learn the title, if it can be procured ; but I am on 

 different subjects just at present. I should rather like to see 

 it rendered highly probable that the process of formation of 

 a new species was short compared to its duration — that is, 

 if the process was allowed to be slow and long ; the idea 

 is new to me. Heer's view that new species are suddenly 

 formed like monsters, I feel a conviction from many reasons 

 is false. 



1 Probably Suess' paper " Ueber die Verschiedenheit und die 

 Aufeinanderfolge der tertiaren Land-faunen in der Niederung von 

 Wien." Sitz.-Ber. Wien Akad., XLVIL, p. 306, 1863. 



