OP CREATION. 113 



animals, of higher and more complicated functions, 

 succeeded, and the waters, after a long preparation, 

 became fit for the presence of fishes. These, at first of 

 small size and comparatively powerless, soon increased 

 rapidly, both in number and dimensions, and, encased 

 in their impenetrable armour, seem to have delighted 

 in the troubled ocean where the coarse conglomerate 

 of the old red sandstone was being accumulated; 

 and for a long while these less perfect species of 

 the class were predominant. In time, however, 

 other fishes sprung up, the old ones were displaced, 

 and a new, vigorous, and powerful group of animals 

 came into the field, endowed with exuberant life, and 

 darting with speed and with almost irresistible force 

 through the water. Land, also, richly clothed with 

 vegetation, even to the water's edge, contributed to 

 support this abundant flow of life ; and some few land 

 animals of high organization appear to have been 

 associated with the insects and the fresh-water ani- 

 mals whose remains have been preserved. But few, 

 indeed, were the tenants of the land, so far as we can 

 judge, when compared with those of the ocean ; and 

 while we have in so many parts of the world a rich 

 supply of the vegetable remains of that period, there 

 are only to be quoted the fragments of a scorpion, one 

 or two foot-marks, and such like indications that 

 nature was not inactive, though the conditions for 

 preserving any terrestrial animal remains were so 

 eminently unfavourable, that there is only just suffi- 

 cient evidence to satisfy us of the fact. 



The conditions of aqueous deposit were, however, 

 more advantageous, so far as marine animals were con- 

 cerned ; and during this period, and especially towards 



