The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-11-22
Sc1ENcE.
THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF
ANIMALS.

Mr.. Alfred Russell Wallace shares
with Mr.. Darwin the honor OF devel-
oping the national selection theory in
its present form. He conceived his
theory of the origin of species. us he
himself says, ''befOre | had the least
notion of the scope and Stature of Mr..
Darwin labors,' and he reached
conclusions simultaneously. lie diff
ers, however, from Mr.. Darwin in the
very important item of the derivation
of man, holding that the doctrine Of
national selection is not sufficient to
explain the transition from the an
thropoid ape to man, and that it re-
quires the cooperating agency of some
higher cause.
The field Of labor of Mr.. Wallace,
while differing from that Of Mr.. OAR
win, is scarcely of less Importance.
While the latter naturalist has spent
his life in studying the hidden charac-
teristics Of animal life, and SO evolving
a history Of all living beings db inifio,
Mr.. Wallace has chiefly devoted him.
self to the investigation Of the eXter-
nal part Of animal existence; and by
dint of personal labor of great mag
nitude, he has rendered to science
services of inestimable value. 1t is
not our purpose here to enter into Mr..
Wallace s biography as a scientist, any
further than is necessary to estimate
the foundation upon which his latest
and greatest work has been reared.
From an early period of his life he has
been an interchangeable explorer. In
the primeval forests of the Amozon
and the islands of the Malayan Archi-
pelago, he has spent years: his collec-
ton of specimens of birds and insects
are remarkably large. and thus his
knowledge is not that of the closet
naturalist, but has been gained direct
~ from the study of nature herself.
The geographical distribution Of ami
mails has been the subject of his
researches for several years past. and
the results thereof are embodied in the
/ voluminous work which he has lately
published. To understand the basis
of the investigation, we may briefly
follow the author through his intro
ductory summary of his subject. 1T
is a fact" he says; within the expe-
rience of most persons. that the yari-
4
uniformerly disposed over the surface
Of the country" If we wish to find
certain birds, or insects even, in our
vicinity, we search for them In partlc-
i ular places; then, as we travel, we
constantly meet new species, and lose
sight Of old ones; and if we progress
far enough, we shall find the crea-
lures peculiar to our own district re-
placed bv an entirely new set. We
Il have thus witnessed a double change.
First, in our own neighborhood, ami
mails appeared or disappeared accord
ing as the soil, vegetation, etc. suited
them, or the reverse. But as we got
further away, we began to find (sec-
ond) that localities. very similar to
, those we had left, were inhabited by
a somewhat different set Of species,
and this difference increased with dis
identical external conditions might
be often met with. The first class of
} changes is that of stations; the second
that of habitants. One is local, the
other a geographical phenomenon.
!, The whole area over which particu-
lar animal is found may consist of any
| number of stations, but rarely of more
than one habitant. Again. of the new
animals we meet In our travels, some
are very much like those we leave at
! home, others are totally dissimilar.
The first series are examples Of what
are termed representative species,
the second of distinct groups or types
of animals. The one represents re-
cent comparative modification and an
origin in or near the locality where it
occurs; the other lis the result Of very
ancient changes, both organic and in
organic.
/ 1t has commonly been believed that
the manner in which the various
kinds Of animals are dispersed over