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" Observations on the distribution of the extinct bears 
of britain, with especial reference to a supposed 
new species of fossil bear from ireland." by 
henry denny, a.l.s., corresponding member of the 
academy of sciences of philadelphia, &c. 
Having lately had an opportunity of examining the skulls 
of two remarkably fine specimens of extinct British bears, 
my attention was naturally led to their identification, and 
also to the various localities in this country and on the 
Continent, in which the remains of fossil ITrsidae have been 
found. For amongst the revelations of geology none are 
more remarkable, require more careful investigation, or more 
cautious deduction, than the local distribution of plants and 
animals, at remote periods of the earth's history. 
In northern latitudes, for instance, we find the fossil 
Fauna and Flora, bearing the characters of those of 
southern Countries, and the marine exuviae of southern seas. 
While in Southern latitudes, on the contrary, we find 
no remains of animals or vegetables or shells belonging to 
the northern, but those only which have, or are now, 
inhabiting the neighbouring lands and seas ! Facts in 
direct opposition to the long cherished theory of the 
universality of Diluvial Currents, a cause supposed clearly to 
account for the occurrence of tropical forms of organized 
beings in temperate climes, to which they had been borne in 
the catastrophe of a general deluge : a theory by no means 
conclusive, and which it is not my intention to discuss. If, 
however, we come nearer our own times in a geological point 
of view, and examine the distribution of the contemporary 
Mammalia of the Tertiary Epoch, an equally difficult problem 
presents itself, that of the localisation of certain Genera 
of animals similar to what we find at the present day. As 
for instance, the Marsupials to Australia and America ; the 
