SOME EARLY MAMMALS 237 



Thus, the Tapir from Sumatra, or Central and South America, 

 is the nearest living relative of the Palasothere ; while, if we go 

 back still further into Jurassic times, we must fetch mar- 

 supials from Australia to match some of the little mammals 

 whose jawbones are found in some of the deposits of that age. 

 To the geologist and naturalist, South America and Australia 

 are countries which have, as it were, lagged behind; for their 

 faunas are not " up to date," as the saying is ; and thereby hangs 

 a long story into which we must not be led now, and one 

 which shows how closely the sciences of Geology, Natural 

 History, and Geography are interwoven. 



As already stated, Cuvier's great results in restoring Eocene 

 animals were due, in a large measure, to the use he made of his 

 principle of " correlation ; " of which he writes : " I doubt whether 

 I should ever have divined, if observation had not taught me, 

 that the ruminant hoofed beasts should all have the cloven foot, 

 and be the only beasts with horns on the frontal bone." * Again, 

 it is found though no one knows why that only those hoofed 

 animals which have their hoofs in one or two pairs, have horns 

 in one or two pairs on the frontal bones : whilst those with 

 three hoofs, if they have horns at all, have either one or two 

 placed one behind the other (example, the Indian rhinoceros with 

 one horn and the African two-horned rhinoceros). There must 

 be secret reasons for these curious facts who shall win im- 

 mortality by discovering them ? Other relationships, such as 

 that between teeth and hoofs, might be given ; but the above 

 example is sufficient for our present purpose (see p. 7). In 

 dealing with this subject, however, it should be mentioned that 

 Cuvier's law is not infallible, and does not always apply to some 

 of the ancient and generalised types discovered since his day. 

 1 Ossemens Fossiles, tom. i. p. 184. (1834.) 



