xe REPORT—1858. 
nuity, begin to be laid down in geological maps, addressing to the eye such 
successive and gradually progressive alterations of the earth’s surface. 
These phenomena shake our confidence in the conclusion that the Apteryx 
of New Zealand and the Red-grouse of England were distinct creations in 
and for those islands respectively. Always, also, it may be well to bear in 
mind that by the word ‘creation,’ the zoologist means ‘a process he knows 
not what.’ Science has not yet ascertained the secondary causes that ope- 
rated when “ the earth brought forth grass and herb yielding seed after its 
kind,” and when “ the waters brought forth abundantly the moving creature 
that hath life.’ And supposing both the fact and the whole process of the 
so-called ‘spontaneous generation’ of a fruit-bearing tree, or of a fish, were 
scientifically demonstrated, we should still retain as strongly the idea, which 
is the chief of the ‘mode’ or ‘ group of ideas’ we call ‘creation,’ viz. that 
the process was ordained by and had originated from an all-wise and power- 
ful First Cause of all things. 
When, therefore, the present peculiar relation of the Red-grouse ( Tetrao 
scoticus) to Britian and Ireland—and I cite it as one of a large class of in- 
stances in Geographical Zoology—is enumerated by the zoologist as evidence 
of a distinct creation of the bird in and for such islands, he chiefly expresses 
that he knows not how the Red-grouse came to be there, and there exclu- 
sively ; signifying also, by this mode of expressing such ignorance, his belief 
that both the bird and the islands owed their origin to a great first Creative 
Cause. 
And this analysis of the real meaning of the phrase ‘ distinct creation’ has 
led me to suggest whether, in aiming to define the primary zoological pro- 
vinces of the globe, we may not be trenching upon a province of knowledge 
beyond our present capacities ; at least in the judgment of Lord Bacon, com- 
menting upon man’s efforts to pierce into the ‘ dead beginnings of things.’ 
This at least is certain, that, being aware of former operations requiring 
to be well understood before we can draw conclusions as to other facts 
related to the unknown operations, one writes to no purpose in affirming 
conclusions without such preliminary knowledge. 
Thus, the changing level of the land part of the earth’s crust, throughout 
geological time, leads to the recognition of the present shape and size of con- _ 
tinents and islands as being recent and temporary. 
We feel that there have been phenomena attending, for example, the actual 
flow of continuous ocean between Ireland and Newfoundland, the nature 
and succession of which should be known in order to enable us to compre- 
hend the causes or conditions of the present differences between the Flora 
and Fauna of those islands respectively : and so of every other part of dry 
land now circumscribed by sea. 
All affirmations as to the time, place, and kind of origin of the organisms 
of a so circumscribed land, in the absence of a knowledge of the causes and ~ 
conditions of such circumscription, must be guess-work, 
