348 HISTORY OF THE EUROPEAN FAUNA. 



survivors of ancient Tertiary times were able to 

 repeople the parts which were temporarily devastated 

 by the advancing glaciers. 



In so short a chapter it is impossible to deal with 

 the Alpine fauna in a manner more deserving of this 

 theme. I have merely sought to give a sketch of 

 the general outlines of the subject and to suggest 

 another possible mode of origin of Alpine animals 

 than that currently believed in by naturalists. It is 

 to be hoped these suggestions will be useful to those 

 intending to reinvestigate the problems raised in this 

 chapter. When our knowledge of the fauna of Asia 

 is more complete, it will be possible to give a more 

 thorough and in many respects a more satisfactory 

 history of the European fauna than at present. 



SUMMARY OF CHAPTER VIII. 



In early Tertiary times the area now covered by the European 

 Alps was covered by the sea. Islands slowly rose above the 

 surface of the waters, which finally coalesced to form a peninsula 

 connected with the mainland in the east. Animals now began 

 to invade the new territory which continued to rise, while the 

 sea retired farther and farther to the north and south. During 

 the Pliocene Epoch the sea ceased to wash the northern shores 

 of the Alps, and both emigration and immigration became 

 possible in that direction, and also from and to the west. 



The Alpine fauna and also the flora are made up of a number 

 of elements, the eastern one being the oldest. The latter is 

 represented in the Alps by the older and newer Oriental migra- 

 tion. The general range of the Alpine Steinbock, Chamois, 

 Marmot, Vole, Shrew, and Hare are specially referred to. The 



