1 68 HISTORY OF THE EUROPEAN FAUNA. 



gives no reason to suppose that the Greenland fauna 

 and flora of the present day were exterminated by the 

 Glacial period and then reintroduced into that country. 

 Nor have we any evidence that such a fauna and flora 

 migrated across the British Islands northward. The 

 Greenland animals and plants too are altogether much 

 more like the Lapland ones than those of Scotland. 

 It will also become evident to the reader of this work 

 that no very extensive migrations could have taken 

 place during the post-glacial period, and that almost 

 everything points to a survival of both fauna and 

 flora in northern latitudes throughout the Glacial 

 period. 



If we take into consideration the palaeontological 

 evidence of the two races of Reindeer in Europe, one of 

 which came to us from the north, and that the Arctic 

 Hare and one of the races of the Stoat entered our 

 continent from the same direction when we, more- 

 over, carefully review the numerous other instances 

 quoted of plants and animals which could only have 

 reached us from the north, the irresistible conclusion is 

 forced upon us that a land-connection existed at no 

 very distant period between Northern Europe and the 

 Arctic Regions of North America. This is not a new 

 hypothesis. Many geologists are of opinion that a 

 land-passage did exist within comparatively recent 

 times, uniting Europe, Greenland, and North America. 

 But the position of this old land-bridge, as I have 

 mentioned, has been generally placed somewhat 

 farther south than I should feel inclined to put it. 



