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ROUND THE YEAR 



been united to another. South Africa was cut off 

 from Europe in later Tertiary times by the sea of the 

 Sahara. Before the elevation of the Andes, which is 

 apparently an event of no very great antiquity, it is 

 probable that South America was cut off from North 

 America. The accompanying diagram shows rudely 

 the normal arrangement of the great natural con- 

 tinents. 



PAL^ARCTIC. 

 Europe. Asia. 



S. Africa. 



Australia. 



N. America. 



S. America. 



The Palaearctic region is much the largest of the 

 natural continents, and is intersected by few in- 

 superable barriers. Hence freedom of communication 

 and the fiercest rivalry. Every-day experience teaches 

 us that in any competition the severity will increase 

 with the number of competitors, and will diminish 

 with artificial restrictions of any kind. It is harder to 

 be the best cricket or football player of a county than 

 of a village, of all England than of a county. If there 

 are scholarships to be awarded, and one is limited to 

 natives of Cornwall, another to natives of Devonshire 



