1-20 



JJf'A. 



[CIIAP. VII, 



extended to tlie confines of the tropics, and on its df- 

 parture, 'Wrill have retreated up these soutlieiu niountains, 

 as well as northward to the plains and liills of Europe. 

 But in this case, the time elapsed, and the great change 

 of conditions, have allowed many of these plants to become 

 so modified that we now consider them to he distinct 

 species. A variety of other facts of a similar nature, have 

 led him to helieve that the depression of temperature was 

 at one time sufEcient to allow a few nortli -temperate 

 plants to cross the Equator (by the most elevated routes) 

 and to reach the Antarctic re^^ions, where they are now 

 found. The evidence on which this belief rests, will he 

 fomid in the hitter part of Chapter II. of the "Origin 

 of Species ; " and, accepting it for the present as an 

 hjrpotheais, it enables us to account for the presence of 

 a fiora of European type on the volcanoes of Java, 



It will, however, naturally be objected that there is 

 a wide expanse of sea between Java and the continent, 

 which would have efToctually prevented the immigration 

 of temperate forma of plants during the glacial epoch, 

 Tliis would undoubtedly be a fatal objection, were there 

 not abundant evidence to show that Java has been 

 formerly connected with Asia, and that the union must 

 have occuried at al>out the epoch required. The most 

 striking proof of such a junction is, that the great Mani- 

 malia of Java, the rhinoceros, the tiger, and the Banteng 

 or wild ox, occur also in Siam and Burmali, and these 

 would certainly not have been introduced by man. The 

 Javanese peacock and several other birds are also common 

 to these two countries ; but, in the majority of cases, the 

 species are distinct, though closely allied, indicating tliat 

 a considerable time (required for such modification) 1ms 

 elapsed since the separation, while it has not been so long 

 as to cause an entire change. Now tliis exactly cor- 

 responds with the time we should require since the 

 temperate forms of plants entered Java. These are 

 almost all now distinct species ; but the changed conditions 

 under which they are now forced to exist, and the proba- 

 bility of some of them having since died out on the con- 

 tinent of India, sufficiently accounts for the Javanese 

 species being different 



