1843.] of the Punjaub and part of Affghanistan. 209 



Thus in America, we have the genera Cebus, Iacchus, Procyon, 

 Cercoleptes, Didelphis, Condylura, Icalops, Auchenia, Myrmicophaga, 

 Cavia, &c. In Australasia: Echidna, Thylacynus, Dasyurus, Pera- 

 meles, Ornithorynchus, Phascolarctos, Petaurus, Phascolomys, &c. In 

 Asia, Galeopethicus, Dysopes, Ailurus, Artictes, Paradoxurus, Moschus, 

 &c. Peculiar to Africa and Europe, we could also point out many 

 genera. Again, if we turn our attention to the ornithological king- 

 dom, we shall find the same remarks to apply. Thus proper to 

 America, we find the Genera Pipra,* Rupicola, Phibalura, Casmorhyn- 

 chus, Gymnocephalus, Procnias, Alector, Crax, Penelope, Dicholo- 

 phus, Crotophaga, Cassicus, Icterus, Zanthornus, Rhamphastos, Rheas, 

 Tanagra. In Asia, Calyptomena, Satyra, Tetraogallus, Lophophorus, 

 Argus, Polyplectron. 



These, however, are only cited for argument, seeing that we could 

 point out genera in every department of animated nature as peculiar 

 to individual continents. Moreover, in the distribution of animals and 

 plants throughout each continent, we find most striking differences 

 depending upon the position. Thus the Zoology of Northern Asia is 

 strikingly different from that of the Southern ; the Zoology of Southern 

 Africa, from that of Western Africa ; and as we have elsewhere re- 

 marked, "as in the Botanical, so in the Zoological kingdom, we shall 

 no doubt find a series of Birds, Quadrupeds, &c. having as their fixed 

 places of abode certain regions of the world, beyond which, though a few 

 may migrate, yet upon a careful examination, the greater number will 

 be found to be confined. "f 



Such being the state of the distribution of the organic kingdom as 

 now exhibited, are we entitled to infer that it, long prior to the creation 

 of man, was subjected to laws differing from those now in action ? Our 

 knowledge regarding fossil organic remains would lead us to infer that 

 such was not the case, though probably during the deposition of the car- 

 boniferous, saliferous, and oolitic, wealden, and in the cretaceous and older 

 tertiary systems, the climate in northern regions was then milder than it 

 now is, and that genera of animals and plants were there met with 

 which are now peculiar to tropical regions. Allowing this to be the fact, 



* By Dr. Burton a species of pipra is said to have been found among the Hima- 

 layas. Is it not a Parus ? See Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 f Journal of the Asiatic Society, No. 85, page 26. 



