58 THEORY OF THE EARTH. 



been found entirely different from any that exist- 

 ed elsewhere. Thus, when the Spaniards first 

 penetrated into South America, they did not find 

 a single species of quadruped the same as any of 

 Europe, Asia, or Africa. The puma, the jaguar, 

 the tapir, the cabiai, the lama, the vicuna, the 

 sloths, the armadilloes, the opossums, and the whole 

 tribe of sapajous, were to them entirely new ani- 

 mals, of which they had no idea. Similar cir- 

 cumstances have recurred in our own time, when 

 the coasts of New Holland and the adjacent 

 islands were first explored. The various species 

 of kangaroo, phascolomys, dasyurus, and perame- 

 les, the flying phalangers, the ornithorynchi and 

 echidnse, have astonished naturalists by the strange- 

 ness of their conformations, which presented pro- 

 portions contrary to all former rules, and were 

 incapable of being arranged under any of the sys- 

 tems then in use. 



If there yet remained some great continent to 

 be discovered, we might still hope to become ac- 

 quainted with new species, among which there 

 might be found some having more or less simi- 

 larity to those of which we have discovered the 

 remains in the bowels of the earth. But it is 

 sufficient to cast a glance over the map of the 

 world, and see the innumerable directions in 

 which navigators have traversed the ocean, in or- 

 der to be satisfied that there remains no other 



