IO6 HISTORY OF THE EUROPEAN FAUNA. 



orjgimited there, but that, owing to the fragmentary 

 nature of our Tertiary deposits, all trace of their 

 early history had disappeared. "The origin of 

 European species," remarks Professor Cole (p. 238), 

 "within the area of the British Isles, and their 

 migration outwards when local conditions became 

 less favourable for their multiplication, are pos- 

 sibilities that seem too often disregarded. Yet 

 the geologist must see in the western borderland 

 of modern Europe a diminished continent from 

 which land-animals must have again and again 

 moved eastward." " Hence geologists may fairly be 

 unwilling to look on our isles as barren lands waiting 

 to be peopled in pliocene or later times. Far rather 

 has the breaking up of a broad land-area along the 

 present continental edge sent our land-fauna to the 

 new steppes that opened eastward, leaving us a 

 mere diminished remnant to struggle with the glacial 

 period." 



There are in Professor Cole's views many points 

 with which I readily agree. In the first place, he 

 acknowledges that migration has taken place on 

 land, so that we have our land-connection between 

 Great Britain and the Continent whatever theory we 

 accept as to the direction taken by the migrants. 

 That the western borderland of Europe has given 

 rise to many important assemblages of animals in 

 past times, seems to me also exceedingly probable, 

 nor do I look upon the British Islands as " barren 

 lands waiting to be peopled in pliocene or later 



