The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-04-14


by our gifted friend, Professor 0. n
Bryan, of Marshall Hall, on the Potomac
Nothing perplexes naturalists more thai
the continued change in organic life Th
bowels of the earth, from time immemo
rial, reveal continual change. Genera
species and varieties are ever on tn
change. Dynasty succeeds dynasty il
the brute creation as among men. To
day no more startling theory moves tn,
minds of Swans or perplexes the wisdom
of the great theologians of the earth thar
the continued "extinction and creation o
Species" 1t was so "from the beginning.
A few little and insignificant creatures be-
gun life almost at the "early dawn"-lone
ere man made his appearance upon the
stage-run the gauntlet of the many caty-
clysms Of nature, and now rejoice in the
presence of man, and will doubtless be CO.
extensive with him.
We will instance few cases of extinc-
ton since the Historic PERIOD" the Nam
moth and Mastadon of America the Cave
Bear, Cave Tiger and Hyena of Europe
and of our day and in our own waters,
the Great Ank Alca impennis) the last
one seen was in 1874. In Ichthyology,
orc Iog;or II ,,ost oosos thoso oroo 49,.
annear 70 have d;ed ,vitbont anv cause.
tbav bod r,, tho;,r ss,,ar;od;o o,,o1ou s.,;,,, :
fnngbt a,a;nst thor, s. IL ~ .oasa oe tho
Great Ank, spoken of above, IL seems
truly to have run his "periodic cycle So
far as Swans can see, there has been no
change of climate
in o,,r waters - '' - " '''
Ponulor on;n;on will b.no u a. tba
dacreaso of a n IL ov;ng 70 tha;r dostrnc
t;on hv nats tb;s Il o1o ca,,sa - - trno
hnt II Ia only "o 1,o, j, 5be b,,nz.st y 'Ths
oraat of ~ daoroasa ~ s;s. ~.
Continual mnd faods Jur;ng tha;r s aanan 'ne
~, o,r straan,s d,,r;,,, 9ha s,,r;,a4. as,5.
often when tho f;sb has inst reachad ,, th ~
$40 ,rn;r cro,,nds aTbo coosao,,a,,e,. 80 ona
thew have f. "tnrn fa;in ana nm I down hs he
foro tha eaad - as,,na az a,,ecSa,.; ~
mant All .hio Will ,ha W. ~ eru
;nr and hafaro az - s,ha;5 ,.'' ~.
sn enc, IL r;,,e ona ha, - NJ annana ., :no
times in tan in ;nnroner nlsces ond nos.
sil,,s, 49,, - .,alt ,,ias.r f'"' ''''' po'
Tbese floods have hos,, co;,r =, ovsr
since the settlement of The Country bv Tho
whites on5 will ;noroaso r,oro y I'D
mora a. tba country bscomos onsnaJ
and cnlf;yated me nneStion ~, 10
very nert;nentlv as,ad wb,, tbis bas ~
hoon po;na ~, fron, oll t;no9 W.
since The introdnct;on Of orr od;hlo esh
mon the scene the earth was covered viii
verdnro-trees orass 80 mil tho al ranr
of the mpala facss Reforo tbat orc 80
windows Of heaven ware onened 'thor os
now The floods came bnt FIJI n,,6n tha
troos shrrhhoru and oross tr;o,,,ad - Az
ground and ,,assad off Mo ~ sn,aI, r;u,
iets thence e IN n,a;n straanas nr;tha,,
can,a falisd the t;nbar' ,,nnaap PIN tha Ia
and when tbe nooas an, p h,nJresa of a aars
If tba soil went alons with = - f;ll 49, 'o
cracks and rivers a moot of Hi; Ii, n Nm po-
hers of onr croaks o.. 81 filIad w. th.t 49,,
ora MI NOW ,ay;aahla for m sn.allYrirc,,
craft WHARF ance tbo ssa ~ i@' n ,aas
canld eoea1r LA ond ra,asd me-, f Gu;se
IN ~. tha c,oals "a rinars ~ aar ILL.,
covered nm all the old snawn;no he5s nr
tbo fsh
Thot +ha eoh dv;,o ont or tho, -
loast two v,r;ot;os ,ouo NJ tha;n es,or;na;o
cvclo y ,yo how roa0on 70 caar + IL IN
tIe o,ornoru 81 ,;u;nn ,,,e, that ' tharo ua -
onoa aar9., of .haa oud i hn.v snu.O IL, ma
0porIar Rsoi,s y anJ = ma. cor, e., ~
monv wars s;nca f,r f;sbern,on r. axroct
e. cstcb dnr;na tba soason ,no o ~ lass ~
tbaua d. t6au re Ia ~ No., ,ssS "
s;na;t;.s 5 oao %" auo 't 49, 40 ~
..t;me fonsbt aaainst them ;" for thev Sis-
onnaared 49, 90 a1nts accordina 70 rsrnrt
idpa befora Tho bio se;nes heoon "a
fnrtber rroof that thsrs ora othss ca,sos
a. work tban tha se;nas - Saorassa N 10
ssb we otfar tho sact ,hot Tho l;ttIo MIN, i'm
now and soelt-~f;sb that No ono f;shes for
ara ran;dl, on the decrsase 49,
Tho aar-nile iIey;5oetr,,s 10 .s,s, hoe nsar '
~ disapneared This fsh does not corne
Nm in Iaroe Quantities mill tbe last If
Nav Or frst of Trra ,yben neorIv eli 10
se;nas ore emf ont 80 -
Rev;awingo eli tbs facts +be con cl,s;on 10
;rresistibIa That If Il ia MT ' the aonds &c
that il vvoyk;ng tho dostruct;no , Of tbs All
than Il IL ms;,ae ,boJ GoSts 81 Inn, :
IF this last Is The trne cansa then the art
Of mon =, rastocl, no r;yers will ova;I
nonaht Peason;na From, anoloau IVA
mnst come to the commission boweyer