12G 
THE GROWTH OF CONTINENTS. 
nean, so unique in our world, were then numer- 
ous. Physically speaking, this was the age of 
continents broken by large inland seas ; while in 
the organic world it was the age of Mammalia 
among animals, and of extensive Dicotyledonous 
forests among plants. In a certain sense it was 
the age of completion, — the one which ushered 
in the crowning work of creation. 
There was an age in the physical history of the 
world (it is in its infancy still) when Man, with 
the animals and plants that were to accompany 
him, was introduced upon the globe, which had 
acquired all its modern characters. At last the 
continents were redeemed from the water, and 
all the earth was given to this new being for his 
home. Among all the types born into the ani- 
mal kingdom before, there had never been one to 
which positive limits had not been set by a law 
of geographical distribution absolutely impassible 
to all. For Man alone those boundaries were 
removed. He, with the domestic animals and 
plants which were to be the companions of all his 
pilgrimages, could wander over the whole earth 
and choose his home. Placed at the head of cre- 
ation, gifted with intellect to make both animals 
and plants subservient to his destinies, his intro- 
duction upon the earth marks the last great divis- 
ion in the history of our planet. To designate 
these great divisions in time, I would urge, for 
