BihUograplikal Notice. 207 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. 



European Animals : their Geological History and Geographical 

 DistrihtUion. By K. F. Scharff, Ph.D., B.Sc. London : 

 Constable & Co., 1907. Pp. viii, 258. 7s. (kl. net. 



Dr. Schakff has produced a book that will prove of exceeding value 

 to all who are interested in the difficult problem of the geographical 

 distribution of animals. He has brought together a mass of facts 

 concerning both the plants and animals of Europe and their 

 present-day distribution such as will be found in no other work 

 of its kind, and herein he has earned the gratitude of us all. 



In his interpretation of many of these facts, however, we venture 

 to think the results of his labours are less satisfactory. And for 

 this reason : — In his Introduction he insists, and rightly, on the 

 importance of palceontological evidence in determining Avhat must 

 have been the centre of distribution for any given group or species ; 

 yet, almost in the same breath, he tells us that " our fossil evidence 

 is of so fragmentary a character that it is often extremely difficult to 

 point to any particular country as the home of a species or genus. 

 The present distribution, however, may be looked upon as a reliable 

 guide in directing our enquiries in this respect." If this is true, 

 why bother about geological evidence? And, as a matter of fact. 

 Dr. ScharfF does not, or at most regards it as auxiliary to the 

 evidence afforded by living species ; and therein he discounts the 

 value of many of his conclusions. 



Thus the present-day distribution of many of the species herein 

 enumerated has to be accounted for by arguments that are far from 

 convincing, in some cases, indeed, they break down completely. 

 In the case of the common rabbit {Oryctolagus cnniculns), for 

 example, Dr. ScharfF endeavours to show, if we interpret him 

 aright, that we must regard Spain as the land of its origin, from 

 which centre of dispersal it eventually made its way along the 

 S.W. coast of France to Ireland by a continuous land-connection. 

 But since fossil remains of this animal have been found within the 

 confines of Great Britain, this contention may be regarded as 

 robbed of its probability. Sjiaiu and Portugal, according to 

 Dr. Scharff, are to bo regarded as having played the part of a very 

 important centre of distribution in past times, both of plants and 

 animals. Bather, it would scorn, they should be regarded as back- 

 ■waters which have served as isolation-areas. 



Similarly, in describing the distribution of beavers over Europe, 

 ho writes: "We have here an example of an animal which evidently 

 spread westward from the east, since it has never been found fossil 

 in cither Ireland, Italy, or Spain, where we should have expected 

 it to occur if it had originated in the west." As a matter of fact, 

 more remains of beavers — and from different horizons — have been 

 found in Italy than in any other part of Europe. That it will 

 be found in Spain is highly probable, for during the Pleistocene 

 period this animal had a remarkably wide range. 



