286 
INFLUENCES OF GEOGRAPHY. 
and agreeable, provided the prevalent winds are in 
a direction from it. If Devon were not situated in 
connexion with the sea, of course no mildness of 
climate, or storms, or phenomena of that kind, 
could confer on us those marine products so con¬ 
spicuous in our Fauna ; and if our situation were 
not at the southern limits of the island and opposite 
to the southern states of Europe, we should neces¬ 
sarily have none of those animals which by accident 
or the invitations of unusually fine weather cross 
over to experience the gentle warmth of our sum¬ 
mers, or else are driven by the violence of equinoc¬ 
tial storms on our coasts, or lastly in the case of 
autumnal migrants, are enticed to stay the winter 
with us by reason of our southernmost locality to¬ 
gether with agreeably genial warmth. 
The Flying-fish has occurred here, and to our north 
in the Bristol Channel, possibly under the influence 
of equinoctial gales, yet our situation must be 
taken into account rather than this phenomenon of 
our climate. The Hippocampus vulgaris and 
Echineis remora have both been captured on our 
shores, yet, situation equally with, or probably 
more than climate, should be regarded as the cause. 
Many of our birds are influenced in their visits 
hither, and in their stay with us in winter, as well 
as in many peculiarities of movements exhibited in 
them, by our climate, but the abundance of wood 
and shelter, and the diversification of the surface of 
our country will alone supply some explanation 
of the vast number of terrestrial birds found with us. 
Consequently, not only must we be compelled on 
most occasions to consider these two causes of 
distribution,—climate, and geographic position 
with the other physical conditions of a country—in 
connexion, but to reflect that the latter influence 
is of the two the more powerful and extensive in 
operation. 
