114 Dr Fleming on the Revolutions in the Animal Kingdom , 
the bears had trod into the ground, while devouring the flesh. 
Much of the original quantity, therefore, was lost. This quan- 
tity of hair indicated not a native of a tropical climate, but an 
inhabitant of a cold region. Its characters served to remove 
all doubt upon the subject. It consisted of three kinds; — 
bristles, nearly black, much thicker than horse hair , and from 
twelve to eighteen inches in length ; hairs of a reddish-brown 
colour, about four inches in length ; and wool of the same colour 
as the hair, but only about an inch and a half long. These 
circumstances demonstrate, that this species of elephant was 
suited to reside in the temperate and cold regions, in which 
its bones are at present discovered, and that the climate of 
Siberia , at the time when the mammoth flourished , was the 
same in temperature , or nearly so , as it is at present. These 
facts, viewed in connection with others equally striking with re- 
gard to the fossil rhinoceros, indicate the impropriety of specu- 
lating about the origin of fossil animals, without having pre- 
viously determined the species , or attended to the laws which 
regulate the distribution of the existing races. 
While there are many genera, containing both extinct and 
recent species, there are other genera, which have no living ex- 
amples, as Belemnites, Mastodon, Anoplotherium, and Palaso- 
therium. These facts seem to indicate a former condition of 
the Earth’s surface, very different from that which prevails at 
present in any latitude. 
It has frequently been remarked by British and Continental 
writers, that in the same quarry, or mine, the organic remains 
contained in one bed often differ from those in the contiguous 
beds, and that the same bed, in its course through several miles, 
may be easily recognised by its petrifactions. Werner, in at- 
tempting to generalise this observation, announced it as his opi- 
nion, 66 That different formations can be discriminated by the 
petrifactions they contain.” When it is considered that a par- 
ticular bed of rock can seldom be traced for many miles, the 
assertion that it may, through this extent, be characterised by 
its petrifactions, is neither in opposition to observation, nor the 
laws which regulate the distribution of animals. But when it is 
meant to be understood, that the same group, or formation of 
beds, (though occupying the same position with respect to other 
