﻿RIVERS 
  AS 
  FACTORS 
  IN 
  ANIMAL 
  DISTRIBUTION. 
  181 
  

  

  Siberian 
  rivers.* 
  This 
  driftwood 
  is 
  some 
  of 
  that 
  which 
  the 
  Lena 
  

   and 
  other 
  rivers 
  carry 
  into 
  the 
  sea 
  every 
  spring, 
  t 
  Benkendorf, 
  

   a 
  young 
  Russian 
  engineer, 
  employed 
  by 
  the 
  Government 
  in 
  a 
  

   survey 
  of 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Lena 
  and 
  Indigirka, 
  was 
  

   despatched 
  up 
  the 
  latter 
  stream 
  in 
  1846, 
  and 
  communicated 
  the 
  

   following 
  account 
  of 
  his 
  experiences 
  in 
  a 
  letter 
  to 
  a 
  friend 
  in 
  

   Germany: 
  — 
  "In 
  1846 
  there 
  was 
  uncommon 
  warm 
  weather 
  in 
  

   the 
  north 
  of 
  Siberia. 
  Already 
  in 
  May 
  unusual 
  rains 
  poured 
  over 
  

   the 
  moors 
  and 
  bogs, 
  storms 
  shook 
  the 
  earth, 
  and 
  the 
  streams 
  

   carried 
  not 
  only 
  ice 
  to 
  the 
  sea, 
  but 
  also 
  large 
  tracts 
  of 
  land, 
  

   thawed 
  by 
  the 
  masses 
  of 
  warm 
  water 
  fed 
  by 
  the 
  southern 
  rains. 
  

   .... 
  The 
  river 
  rolled 
  against 
  us 
  trees, 
  moss, 
  and 
  large 
  masses 
  

   of 
  peat, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  only 
  with, 
  great 
  trouble 
  and 
  danger 
  we 
  

   could 
  proceed."| 
  Similar 
  is 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  oar 
  own 
  Tweed, 
  when 
  

   after 
  a 
  week's 
  rain 
  it 
  comes 
  down 
  " 
  in 
  its 
  might, 
  and 
  every 
  

   tributary 
  stream, 
  transformed 
  for 
  the 
  nonce 
  into 
  a 
  river," 
  swells 
  

   the 
  mighty 
  flood. 
  " 
  Then 
  timber 
  trees, 
  sawn 
  wood, 
  dead 
  animals, 
  

   farming 
  implements, 
  even 
  haystacks," 
  come 
  floating 
  down, 
  and 
  

   the 
  very 
  channel 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  is 
  diverted, 
  sometimes 
  never 
  to 
  

   return 
  to 
  its 
  ancient 
  course. 
  § 
  On 
  the 
  floating 
  islets 
  of 
  the 
  

   Mississippi 
  "young 
  trees 
  take 
  root, 
  and 
  the 
  water-lily 
  or 
  nenuphar 
  

   displays 
  its 
  yellow 
  flowers 
  ; 
  serpents, 
  birds, 
  and 
  the 
  Cayman 
  Alli- 
  

   gator 
  come 
  to 
  repose 
  there, 
  and 
  all 
  are 
  sometimes 
  carried 
  to 
  the 
  sea, 
  

   and 
  engulphed 
  in 
  its 
  waters." 
  || 
  Not, 
  however, 
  always 
  engulphed, 
  

   for 
  the 
  sea 
  sometimes 
  casts 
  up 
  more 
  than 
  her 
  dead, 
  an 
  instance 
  

   of 
  which 
  is 
  recorded 
  by 
  Guilding 
  at 
  the 
  island 
  of 
  St. 
  Vincent 
  : 
  

   " 
  A 
  noble 
  specimen 
  of 
  tbe 
  ' 
  Boa 
  Constrictor 
  ' 
  was 
  lately 
  conveyed 
  

   to 
  us 
  by 
  the 
  currents, 
  twisted 
  round 
  the 
  trunk 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  sound 
  

   cedar 
  tree, 
  which 
  had 
  probably 
  been 
  washed 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  bank 
  of 
  

   some 
  great 
  South 
  American 
  river, 
  whilst 
  its 
  huge 
  folds 
  hung 
  on 
  

   the 
  branches, 
  as 
  it 
  waited 
  for 
  its 
  prey. 
  The 
  monster 
  was 
  

   fortunately 
  destroyed 
  after 
  killing 
  a 
  few 
  sheep. 
  "H 
  The 
  South 
  

  

  * 
  Cf. 
  Eipley 
  and 
  Dana's 
  ' 
  Anaer. 
  Cyclopaedia,' 
  vol. 
  ii. 
  p. 
  77 
  (1874). 
  

  

  f 
  Cf. 
  Laughton, 
  ' 
  Pliys. 
  Greogr. 
  in 
  Relation 
  to 
  prevailing 
  Winds 
  and 
  Cur. 
  

   rents,' 
  p. 
  207. 
  

  

  I 
  Cf. 
  W. 
  Boyd 
  Dawkins 
  and 
  H. 
  W. 
  Oakley, 
  ' 
  Cassell's 
  Nat. 
  Hist.' 
  vol. 
  ii. 
  

   p. 
  2S9. 
  

  

  § 
  " 
  The 
  Autobiography 
  of 
  a 
  Salmon," 
  quoted 
  by 
  J. 
  Watson, 
  ' 
  Poachers 
  

   and 
  Poaching,' 
  p. 
  165. 
  

  

  |j 
  Cf. 
  Lyell, 
  ' 
  Principles 
  of 
  Geology,' 
  vol. 
  ii. 
  p. 
  365. 
  

  

  H 
  Ibid. 
  p. 
  869. 
  

  

  