672 



A FEW REMARKS 



not know what was the connection or partition of land, before 

 the deluge ; how the creatures were distributed ; or, what was 

 the difference of climate between one region and another ; we 

 cannot say that any particular kind could not have been near 

 the ark because of crossing the sea, or having far to travel. 



There is abundant proof that animals have changed their 

 habits, shape, coat, colour, or size, in consequence of migration, 

 or transportation to different climates ; therefore we cannot tell, 

 from what is now seen, what alterations have taken place since 

 their second dispersion. 



Many able men* have pointed out how water penetrating to 

 metallic bases, may cause volcanic eruptions; how matter 

 thrown up, and materials torn or washed off the earth may have 

 combined, mechanically as well as chemically ; how gases may 

 have assisted the transformations : how creatures may have 

 been instantaneously overwhelmed, or gradually entombed; 

 how lime may have been one among many powerful agents; 

 how seeds, and spawn, and the germs of insects may have been 

 preserved ; and why, among such multitudes of fossil remains 

 as we now find, only in a few places are there remains of man 

 incontrovertibly fossil.f 



don there seems to be little doubt (Burnett, p. 67.) Excepting the ser- 

 pent in Africa, which opposed the passage of Regulus and a Roman army, 

 1 am not aware whether profane history mentions any well-authenticated 

 instance of such enormous reptiles ; but I cannot look at our represen- 

 tations of dragons, wyverns, grifl&ns, &c. without thinking that, at least, 

 tradition must have handed down the memory of some such monsters ; 

 even if a stray one here and there did not actually live in the earlier histo- 

 rical ages : pterodactyles, plesiosauri, ichthyosauri, &c. are too like them, 

 in general figure, to admit of this idea being treated as altogether chime- 

 rical. Tradition, no doubt exaggerated by imagination, may have handed 

 down the fact of such creatures having once existed : indeed the casual 

 finding of a skeleton might confirm reports, if not originate them. 



* Davy, Sharon Turner, Fairholme, Burnett, Granville Penn, Sumner, 

 Young, Rhind, Lyell, Cockburn, &c. 



t These fossil remains of man are not only mixed with those of animals, 

 or fish ; but in some cases they are buried at a distance beneath fossil 

 bones of animals. — See Fairholme on the Mosaic Deluge, pp. 41 — 52 ; 

 Miers's Chile, vol. i. p. 455, &c. 



