﻿1 68 EVOLUTION IN THE PAST 



Alopecias). As regards fresh-water fishes geological history 

 is extremely slight. From discoveries made in Swiss strata 

 (CEningen) it is clear that pike, perch, loach, tench, and carp 

 were all in existence in this Period. 

 inverte- Invertebrate life calls for little notice. The known mol- 

 brates luscs, as in the last two Periods, consisted mostly of species 

 of a tropical character ; and a large proportion of them 

 belonged to species still in existence. 



Europe, with its palm trees, apes, elephants, crocodiles, 

 and turtles — to say nothing of the absence of human beings 

 — was very different in its life aspects from what it is to-day. 

 Nor was it geographically the same ; for the Mediterranean 

 was flowing over many parts of the continent which are 

 now dry land. The Alps, however, and Carpathians — in the 

 making of which the Eocene nummulites had played so 

 important a part — were now well in view above the surface 

 of the waters. 



