EVOLUTION IN BIOLOGY. 315 



was to be reconciled with the literal interpretation of 

 the history of the deluge ; and, with the establishment 

 of the existence of distinct provinces of distribution, any 

 serious belief in the peopling of the world by migration 

 from Mount Ararat came to an end. 



Under these circumstances, only one alternative was 

 left for those who denied the occurrence of evolution 

 namely, the supposition that the characteristic animals 

 and plants of each great province were created, as such, 

 within the limits in which we find them. And as the 

 hypothesis of "specific centres," thus formulated, was 

 heterodox from the theological point of view, and unin- 

 telligible under its scientific aspect, it may be passed 

 over without further notice, as a phase of transition 

 from the creational to the evolutional hypothesis. 



8. In fact, the strongest and most conclusive argu- 

 ments in favour of evolution are those which are based 

 upon the facts of geographical, taken in conjunction with 

 those of geological, distribution. 



Both Mr. Darwin and Mr. Wallace lay great stress on 

 the close relation which obtains between the existing 

 fauna of any region and that of the immediately ante- 

 cedent geological epoch in the same region ; and rightly, 

 for it is in truth inconceivable that there should be no 

 genetic connection between the two. It is possible to 

 put into words the proposition that all the animals and 

 plants of each geological epoch were annihilated, and 

 that a new set of very similar forms was created for 

 the next epoch ; but it may be doubted if any one who 



