TAYLOR : DUMINANOY IN NATURK. 
5 
in North (Jentral Europe ; and that this is so is demonstrated by the 
acknowledged pre-eminence of its organic life, which may be partially 
attributable to the diversity of its surface, and the bracing, yet mild 
character of its climate, consequent on its i)ermeation by the seas, 
and the great pi evalence of genial westerly winds bringing moisture 
and warmth in winter from an ocean whose temperature is modified 
by the Gulf-stream, while it is free from the enervating and depressing 
influences of the great extremes of tempei-ature characterizing Siberia, 
Central Asia, and even Kastern Europe. 
These invigorating conditions of North-Central Europe and the 
acknowledged sii])eriority of the life already existent there, tend to 
evolve a still higher degree of dominating power in the new species 
which arise, and endow them with a marvellous faculty of extending 
their range in every direction, to the detriment and eventual expulsion 
or extirpation of such species as they may conflict with. 
This superiority or increase of dominating power being probably 
not necessarily due to any external morphological change but to a 
greater development and concentration of the nervous system in 
animals and of its analogue in plants, endowing animal life with a 
more active and varied intelligence and probably also with a greater 
bio-chemical power of extracting nourishment from food, while in 
plants the increased development of what may be regarded as a 
rudimentary nervous system enables each improved plant to more 
Fig. 2 — Map illustrating geographical continuity of distribution and the occupation of the 
primary evolutionary area hy the latest evolved and most dominant species, as by the Pentataeniate 
Helicidae ^Helix pomatia. Helix nenwra/is, etc. ). 
The evolutionary region is approximately indicated by darker shading. 
readily perceive and adjust itself by purposeful, mechanical or chemical 
changes to the varying peculiarities of its environment, and by more 
quickly perceiving and absorbing nutriment or taking fuller advantage 
of any beneficial influences and avoiding those of an hurtful or 
