LIFE ON THE EARTH. 15 



Lion and Leopard, are copied so to speak by the 

 Puma and Jaguar of tropical America ; the Tapir 

 of Mexico mimics the congeneric animal of Sumatra ; 

 the Sloth, Armadillo, and Myrmecophaga of Brazil, 

 find relatives in the Manis and Orycteropus of Asia 

 and Africa. 



These parallels might be extended by many ex- 

 amples from Struthious and other birds, and from 

 Crocodiles and other reptiles, tending to shew in 

 two large separated regions, two distinct but ana- 

 logous groups of life, subject to similar limitations 

 by climate. 



In like manner, reef-making Corals in the sea, and 

 the large molluscous families of Cones, Cowries, and 

 Volutes, might be mentioned as characterizing the 

 warmer waters ; but a more curious and interest- 

 ing law of distribution of marine life, is founded on 

 investigation of the contents of the sea at different 

 depths. 



INFLUENCE OF DEPTH ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF LIFE 

 IN THE SEA. 



One example, the best known, is the Survey of 

 the JEgean sea-depths by the late excellent naturalist, 

 Edward Forbes. Dividing the depths from the sur- 

 face to 230 fathoms into eight unequal zones, he finds 



