414 ABSENCE OF TERRESTRIAL 



Azores and Mauritius, and have multiplied so as to become 

 a nuisance. But as these animals and their spawn are im- 

 mediatel}^ killed (with the exception, as far as known, of 

 one Indian species) by sea-water, there would be great 

 difficulty in their transportal across the sea, and therefore 

 we can see why they do not exist on strictly oceanic 

 islands. But why, on the theory of creation, they should 

 not have been created there, it would be very difficult to 

 explain. 



Mammals offer another and similar case. I have care- 

 fully searched the oldest voyages, and have not found a 

 single instance, free from doubt, of a terrestrial mammal 

 (excluding domesticated animals kept by the natives) in- 

 habiting an island situated about 300 miles from a conti- 

 nent or great continental island; and many islands situated 

 at a much less distance are equally barren. The Falkland 

 Islands, which are inhabited by a wolf -like fox, come near- 

 est to an exception; but this group cannot be considered 

 as oceanic, as it lies on a bank in connection with the 

 mainland at a distance of about 280 miles; moreover, ice- 

 bergs formerly brought bowlders to its western shores, and 

 they may have formerly transported foxes, as now fre- 

 quently happens in the arctic regions. Yet it cannot be 

 said that small islands will not support at least small mam- 

 mals, for they occur in many parts of the world on very 

 small islands, when lying close to a continent; and hardly 

 an island can be named on which our smaller quadrupeds 

 have not become naturalized and greatly multiplied. It 

 cannot be said, on the ordinary view of creation, that there 

 has not been time for the creation of mammals; many vol- 

 canic islands are sufficiently ancient, as shown by the 

 stupendous degradation which they have suffered, and by 

 their tertiary strata: there has also been time for the pro- 

 duction of endemic species belonging to other classes; and 

 on continents it is known that new species of ma.mmals ap- 

 pear and disappear at a quicker rate than other cind lower 

 animals. Although terrestrial mammals do not occur on 

 oceanic islands, aerial mammals do occur on almost every 

 island. New Zealand possesses two bats found nowhere 

 else in the world: Norfolk Island, the Viti Archipelago, 

 the Bonin Islands, the Caroline and Marianne Archi- 

 pelagoes, and Mauritius, all possess their peculiar bats. 



