﻿FOURTH 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  DIRECTOR 
  igO 
  1 
  / 
  57 
  

  

  Among 
  other 
  large 
  problems 
  that 
  suggest 
  themselves 
  in 
  reviewing 
  

   our 
  knowledge 
  of 
  Devonic 
  fishes 
  are 
  those 
  relating 
  to 
  the 
  habits 
  

   and 
  mode 
  of 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  creatures 
  represented, 
  their 
  adaptation 
  to 
  

   physical 
  environment, 
  the 
  effects 
  of 
  such 
  adaptation 
  as 
  manifested 
  

   in 
  their 
  structural 
  modifications 
  and 
  subsequent 
  racial 
  history, 
  and 
  

   finally 
  the 
  important 
  topics 
  of 
  migration 
  and 
  geographical 
  distribu- 
  

   tion. 
  All 
  of 
  these 
  issues, 
  though 
  subsidiary 
  to 
  the 
  main 
  theme, 
  offer 
  

   nevertheless 
  fruitful 
  fields 
  for 
  exploration. 
  It 
  would 
  take 
  us 
  too 
  

   far 
  astray 
  from 
  the 
  immediate 
  purpose 
  of 
  this 
  paper 
  to 
  consider 
  all 
  

   of 
  these 
  matters 
  seriatim, 
  particularly 
  as 
  materials 
  are 
  already 
  at 
  

   hand 
  for 
  those 
  who 
  may 
  wish 
  to 
  pursue 
  them 
  further. 
  For 
  instance, 
  

   in 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  habits 
  and 
  mode 
  of 
  existence 
  of 
  ancient 
  forms 
  of 
  

   fish 
  life, 
  many 
  suggestive 
  hints 
  are 
  contained 
  in 
  the 
  writings 
  of 
  

   Claypole, 
  Dollo, 
  Jaekel, 
  Kemna 
  and 
  others. 
  

  

  A 
  large 
  and 
  very 
  important 
  literature 
  exists 
  on 
  the 
  subject 
  of 
  

   faunal 
  migrations 
  in 
  general, 
  and 
  geographical 
  distribution, 
  which 
  

   will 
  be 
  referred 
  to 
  later. 
  The 
  question 
  of 
  adaptation 
  to 
  environ- 
  

   ment 
  has 
  been 
  less 
  fully 
  treated 
  than 
  others 
  in 
  the 
  above 
  category, 
  

   since, 
  from 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  case, 
  our 
  information 
  is 
  more 
  deficient 
  

   in 
  this 
  respect. 
  The 
  viewpoint, 
  however, 
  is 
  exceedingly 
  instructive, 
  

   and 
  such 
  light 
  as 
  is 
  obtainable 
  from 
  it 
  is 
  most 
  welcome. 
  That 
  we 
  

   have 
  not 
  overstated 
  the 
  truth 
  must 
  be 
  clear 
  to 
  all 
  who 
  have 
  gained 
  

   a 
  right 
  understanding 
  of 
  the 
  working 
  of 
  this 
  principle 
  in 
  analogous 
  

   cases. 
  As 
  convenient 
  an 
  illustration 
  as 
  any 
  is 
  furnished 
  by 
  human 
  

   history. 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  notable 
  phenomena 
  in 
  the 
  annals 
  of 
  mankind, 
  

   and 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  beneficent 
  in 
  its 
  subtle 
  and 
  far-reaching 
  conse- 
  

   quences, 
  is 
  the 
  marvelous 
  civilization 
  attained 
  by 
  the 
  ancient 
  

   Hellenes. 
  Yet 
  the 
  unfolding 
  and 
  superb 
  blossoming 
  of 
  the 
  flower 
  

   of 
  Greek 
  genius, 
  together 
  with 
  its 
  rare 
  beauty 
  while 
  it 
  lasted 
  — 
  this 
  

   surprising 
  spectacle 
  utterly 
  fails 
  of 
  comprehension 
  except 
  as 
  we 
  take 
  

   account 
  of 
  influences 
  of 
  heredity 
  and 
  environment. 
  To 
  understand 
  

   Athenian 
  character 
  and 
  habits, 
  or 
  to 
  attempt 
  to 
  account 
  for 
  that 
  

   civilization 
  which 
  flourished, 
  as 
  Milton 
  says, 
  

  

  Where 
  on 
  the 
  Aegean 
  shore 
  a 
  city 
  stands 
  

   Built 
  nobly, 
  pure 
  the 
  air, 
  and 
  light 
  the 
  soil, 
  

  

  it 
  is 
  above 
  all 
  things 
  imperative 
  to 
  understand 
  the 
  conditions 
  of 
  Attic 
  

   soil 
  and 
  climate. 
  For 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  one 
  inquires 
  critically 
  into 
  the 
  

   physical 
  surroundings 
  of 
  the 
  classical 
  Athenian, 
  one 
  discovers 
  that 
  

   his 
  culture 
  is 
  not 
  primarily 
  dependent 
  upon 
  his 
  peculiar 
  character, 
  

   but 
  is 
  very 
  largely 
  the 
  resultant 
  of 
  his 
  outward 
  circumstances, 
  and 
  

   influenced 
  to 
  a 
  marked 
  degree 
  by 
  his 
  climate. 
  One 
  perceives, 
  there- 
  

   fore, 
  that 
  ample 
  justification 
  exists 
  for 
  the 
  following 
  statement, 
  

   taken 
  from 
  a 
  very 
  readable 
  work 
  on 
  classical 
  antiquity 
  (Tucker's 
  

   Life 
  in 
  Ancient 
  Athens), 
  with 
  which 
  we 
  will 
  conclude 
  our 
  remarks 
  

   on 
  this 
  head: 
  

  

  " 
  From 
  the 
  bare 
  facts 
  that 
  the 
  Athenian 
  lived 
  in 
  a 
  land 
  which 
  

   supplied 
  a 
  frugal 
  and 
  simple, 
  but 
  sufficient 
  and 
  wholesome 
  diet, 
  in 
  

   a 
  climate 
  which 
  makes 
  for 
  sociable 
  outdoor 
  life 
  without 
  producing 
  

   languor, 
  in 
  an 
  atmosphere 
  which 
  sets 
  off 
  whatsoever 
  things 
  are 
  

  

  