ScHAHFF — Some Remarks on the Atlantis Problem. 279 



originally from the New World. That our European hares and tho 

 rabbit have come to us from America is suggested by Prof. Osborn 

 (p. 58), though he docs not indicate the route they are likely to have 

 taken in their migrations. 



I am not advocating a direct land-connection between southern 

 Europe and America by way of the Atlantic Islands. I think there 

 was only one land-bridge in southern latitudes, between the Old World 

 and the New, which joined Africa and South America. This must 

 have lain further south than the Atlantic Islands. But from North 

 Afi'ica, there was frequent intercourse with southern Europe — with 

 which the Atlantic Islands, I believe, were connected ; and South 

 American species would then have been able to reach Madeira and the 

 Azores indirectly. 



To lesume the discussion on the rabbit. The zoological position of 

 the Leporidse was recently subjected to a thorough and most careful 

 revision by Dr. Forsyth Major, according to whom the rabbit belongs 

 to a different group altogether from that of the European hares. He 

 places it along with the South African Lejnis crassicaudatus into the 

 genus Oryctolagus, the two species being characterized by a very dis- 

 continuous distribution, which we are assured by Dr. Wallace is a sign 

 of antiquity. The nearest relative of Oryctolagus is Sylvilagus, a genus 

 containing iive species which range from south-eastern North America 

 southward to Paraguay. It does not seem unnatural, therefore, that 

 America should have been selected by Prof. Osborn as the original 

 home of the group. The first branch ( Capreolagus) was probably sent 

 off eastward to southern Europe and Asia. Of this, three species are 

 known, two of which are now extinct, while a third still siu-vives in 

 India. This genus may subsequently have given rise to the allied 

 form Nesolagus Netscheri of Sumatra. 



We have therefore evidence of migrations, not only between 

 Europe and America, but also between Africa and America. 



It has already been urged by Mr. Lydekker that the hystrico- 

 morphous Eodents of the South A merican Eegion are so closely related 

 to those of Africa that a connection between the two areas must 

 have existed (p. 127); and another instance of a still more startling- 

 character was quite recently referred to in Prof. Howes' admirable 

 address to the British Association at Belfast — viz., that a fossil mole 

 had just been discovered in the celebrated Argentine deposits of South 

 Americd which agreed with the golden mole {ChrysocJdoris) of South 

 Africa (p. 7). 



We must also remember the affinity of the West Indian Seleuodons to 



H.I.A. PllOC, VOL. XXIV., SEC. B.] 2 A 



