THE ALPINE FAUNA. 311 



supplemented the sea, and the Alpine fauna and 

 flora were able to pour into the plain. It was then 

 that the Arctic species which we have learned had 

 migrated into Northern Europe from the north found 

 their way to the Alps. In a similar way Lusitanian 

 forms in fact, species from almost all parts of 

 Europe were now free to wander to the newly opened 

 up peninsula which had become part of the main- 

 land of Europe. The typical Siberian species had 

 not entered our continent at that time, it was not till 

 much later not until the middle of the Pleistocene 

 Epoch that they made their appearance at the foot 

 of the Alps, but, as we shall see later on, it is doubt- 

 ful whether many of these species ever reached the 

 mountains. 



The fauna of the Alps, and also the flora, is 

 therefore made up of a number of component ele- 

 ments. In the first place we have the Oriental element 

 the migrants from Central and Southern Asia. 

 When the nature and origin of the Oriental fauna in 

 Europe was discussed, reference was made to the fact 

 (p. 272) that we can distinguish an older from a newer 

 Oriental migration. Both of these have entered the 

 Alps. As we might anticipate, many of the older 

 Oriental migrants have developed into new species, 

 laying the foundation of an indigenous Alpine 

 element. From the fact that they set foot on the 

 Alpine peninsula, it might be expected that there 

 could have existed no mountains to speak of. The 

 climate was mild and damp. Now as the country 



