80 FOREST LIFE IN ACADIE. 



The seafaring man arriving from Europe will find even 

 less of (livergenee amongst the finny tribes and the sea- 

 fowl on these coasts, and indeed will not pretend to assert 

 a difference in most cases. 



The very interesting question thus readily suggests 

 itself to the naturalist — in what light are many analogous 

 forms in Western Europe and Atlantic North America to 

 be regarded in reference to each other ? The identity of 

 the species which almost continuously range the circum- 

 arctic zoological province is perfi^ ,ly well established in 

 such instiinces as those of the arctic fox, the white bear, and 

 of many of the Cetace£e and Phocidse amongst mammals ; 

 of the eiders, common and king, the pintail and others of 

 the Anatidce, and of the sturgeon, capelin, herring, and 

 probably the sea-salmon amongst fishes. Nor could the 

 fact be reasonably doubted in the case of creatures which 

 are permanent residents of a limited circumpolar zone, or 

 even in that of the migratory species which affect polar 

 regions for a season, and thence regularly range south- 

 wards over the diverging continents. The question, how- 

 ever, which is offered for solution is respecting those 

 analogous forms which have apparently permanent habi- 

 tats in the Old and New Worlds, and have always 

 remained (as far as is known) geographically isolated. 

 With regard to the arctic deer the author's considerations ? 



will be found given at some length, but there are many I 



other analogies in the fauna and flora of the two hemi- | 



spheres, which, on comparison, naturally lead to a dis- | 



cussion on the subject of local variation, and as to how | 



far the system of classification is to be thus modified. ^ 



Buffon's idea that many of the animals of the New 

 World were the descendants of Old World stock would 



■.* 



