Bec'd June 1 --0°^-^ 



-XII. 



ON THE OEIGIN OF THE EUEOPEAN FAUNA. Br E. F. 

 SCHARFF, Ph.D., B.Sc, F.Z.S., Keeper of the Natural History 

 Collections in the Dublin Museum of Science and Art. 



[Read Novembek 9, 1896.] 



Two years ago I communicated to the Eoyal Irish Academy a short 

 report on the origin of the Irish Land and Freshwater Fauna {76 a).^ I 

 then stated that a careful study of the Irish Fauna would enable us, 

 not only to prove the former existence of a land- connexion between 

 Ireland and Great Britain, but also to approximately ascertain the 

 time of its arrival from the continent of Europe. I showed that 

 the Mammals of Ireland, both recent and extinct, and also the Mollusca 

 were perhaps more serviceable in a research of that nature than other 

 groups of animals. At the same time I emphasized the importance of 

 a study of the freshwater fishes in elucidating the extent of the land- 

 connexion. 



The range of the species of Coregonus in the British Islands and 

 that of the Chars, which I referred to, seemed to indicate the former 

 existence of a fresh-water lake between England and Ireland. Pro- 

 fessor James Geikie has since pointed out to me that he had long ago 

 come to the same conclusion on purely geological grounds (35 b, p. 512), 

 though, as we shall see further on, he assumes that the fresh-water 

 lake came into existence at a time when, according to my opinion, it 

 must have already been converted into an arm of the Atlantic. At 

 the end of my report, I mentioned that, so far, my inquiries into the 

 origin of the Irish fauna had led me to the following conclusions : 

 " Ireland was in later Tertiary times connected with Wales in the 

 south, and Scotland in the north, whilst a freshwater lake occupied 

 the present central area of the Irish Sea. The southern connexion 

 broke down at the beginning of the Pleistocene Period, the northern 

 connexion following soon after. There is no evidence of any subse- 

 quent land-connexion between Great Britain and Ireland." 



1 J'ide Bibliograpliy at end. 

 E.I.A. PROC, SEK. III., VOL. IV. 2 H 



