100 CAVE ANIMALS ALLIED TO PRESENT KINDS. 
remains of the tribe found in our caves, I acknow¬ 
ledge that the ideas I have here advanced must as 
a consequence be relinquished; but I firmly believe 
it never will be shewn, and so far as the doctrine of 
the identity of the cave-animals with the animals of 
the same names now in existence may derive 
support from the apparent great similarity generally 
found, those who side with me need be under no 
apprehension, for besides that in some instances 
great differences in size can be detected, minor 
disagreements (superior however to those betwen 
existing individuals of a species) may be found in 
the majority of the remaining cases. 
The naturalist, versed in an actual knowledge of 
the law of affinities and disagreements as exhibited 
amongst living tribes of creatures, is prepared to 
understand and argue that the very considerable 
affinity which subsists between these antediluvian 
and existing animals is not greater, or rather it is 
generally speaking less than is exhibited between 
nearly related species of the genera now resident on 
the earth. And, if the rule of gradual elevation of 
living beings through the various epochs up to the 
typical perfection of the present sera be accredited 
as sound, we have in the history of these cave-animals 
evidence of their age, and relation to the postdilu¬ 
vial epoch by the point of perfection displayed in 
the organization to which they reached, while, 
in their similarities to the creatures which they 
prototyped, we trace trivial though positive lines 
of demarcation, pointing to the natural separation 
between the creatures of the respective periods. 
The assumption that the large mammals of this 
antediluvian race were inferior in size to those of 
the present day of the same names, in consequence 
of difference of climate from that experienced by 
the latter, is not worthy of credit until this difference 
be further shewn as probable, and it is to be observ- 
