206 Association of Geologists and JVaturalists. [Nov., 



rule, wild animals were created where they are found. There are 

 geological reasons for this belief. 



The great Pachyderraata and the monkeys belong to tropical 

 climates; other animals belong to the temperate, others to the fri- 

 gid zones. Almost all the marsupial animals are found only in 

 New Holland and the surrounding islands; the edentata are quite 

 limited to South America, even to Brazil. Now compare the fos- 

 sils found in New Holland and Brazil, &c., and they will be found 

 belonging to the families now living there — they originated 

 where they are found. 



The highest animals of a family are always found in the warm- 

 est latitudes; thus crocodiles are found in the torrid zones; ser- 

 pents in the torrid and temperate zones; salamanders and frogs in 

 the temperate and cold climates. Monkeys, the animal next to 

 man, belong to the torrid zone; this is the expression of a universal 

 law, which we ought not to overlook, from the conclusions it 

 might lead to in regard to the human race. 



In arctic regions, there are few species, and numerous individu- 

 als; in the torrid regions there are many species, containing each 

 but few individuals. There seems to be an exception to the above 

 rule, in that the lower terrestrial mammalia are most numerous 

 in tropical climates, as some of the lower pachydermata; but we 

 know that the lower animals were created first, probably under 

 warmer climates in ancient times; so that these animals now exist 

 there, because they are the representatives of ancient types, rather 

 than from being higher types of creation. 



The radiata and Crustacea have been most neglected in New 

 England ; the shells have been accurately classed and described 

 by Dr. Gould, and the fishes by Dr. Storer. It is important to 

 know not only in what latitude marine animals live, but at what 

 depth below the surface. The fishes of the deep sea do not live 

 near the shore; as on mountains, animals, and plants have each 

 their special horizon or limits, where they are only found, so in 

 the deep, marine animals have their unvarying limits. Between 

 high and low water mark there is a special Fauna; between low 

 water mark and four fathoms, another Fauna, &c.; the difference 

 between the levels of the tide will make more difl!"erence in animal 

 life, than one thousand feet on a mountain. 



Prof. Adams supported this view of the geographical distribu- 

 tion of animals by reference to the shells of the West Indies; he 

 also alluded to the different horizons of shells found in a lake on 

 the peninsula of Port Royal. 



Prof. Johnson made also, confirmatory remarks on the distribu- 

 tion of fishes. 



Prof. Agassiz mentioned the occurrence of the same fishes in 

 the head waters (and in them only,) of the Rhine, Rhone, and 



