The Saint Paul globe., 1897-06-07

mammalian remains from the Slwalik hills
of Northern India, seems to most of US
work OF very ancient time; nevertheless, the
first part did not appear till 1845, while the
last was published in 1S49. Gaudry's deScrip-
tion of the fossil animals of Attica only dates
from 1862, while the discoveries of the extinct
mammalian faunas of Hungary, Persia, China
and Samos still more modern events.
Within the last twenty years the working OF
the phosphorites of Central France for eco
nomical purposes, has revealed the existence
of a numerous OMgocene land fauna with
which were previously only very imper-
fectly acquainted. More important than all
are the archaeological discoveries which have
taken place late in the reign in the Mesozoc
and Tertiary deposits OF the United States.
THESE have revoiutioniZed many pre-conceived
IDEAS. and have shown that for the future the
most important advances in the structure and
history CT the higher vertebrates of past
epochs must come from the other side of the
Atlantic. Not only have entirely new groups
OF mammals, such as the horned Dinoceras
and 11tanotherlum, been discovered there, but
the remains of dinosaurian reptiles are met
with in state of perfection to which there
IS no comparison in other parts of the globe.
These complete skeletons have not only fully
borne out the speculations of Huxley and
Hulke to the close structural resemblance
between these reptiles and birds but have also
shown how nearly the restorations attempted
by the English anatomistS approached the
reality. Equally important have been the
archaeological discoveries in South America;
discoveries which indicate, without doubt,
former Tertiary land connection between that
continent and distant Australia. To even al
lude to some of the archaeological discoveries
among the lower groups of animals is obvi-
ousiy impossible in the space at our disposal.
Systematic zoology and botany have passed
through several stages during the period un-
der review. AS already said at the com
mencement OF the reign the former was la
boring under the thrall of the circular hal
luclnatlon, from which, however it at length
cast itself free. Since that time, a steady
progress has, on the whole, been made in
most branches, as any one may satisfy him
SELF who contrasts the Linnean system (Which
was chlehy in vogue in 1856 with that TO be
found in any better class of modern text
books And here it may be mentioned how
vastly superior are these to their predecessors
or half century ago. Whether the progress
has been equally satisfactory on the species
question may well be doubted. Even early in
the reign gibes and taunts were freely leveled
by many that the publication of the Origin
of Species" would be the death-kneIl of alb
straction from which it took its name.
For a time, indeed there was a lull and
naturalists seemed inclined to take a broader
and more philosophic estimate of the amount
of differences which ought to be regarded as
of specific Importance But of late years and
especially in America, So rec.es- making has Cnce
more taken new lease of life, and every
little moro CT less constant difference is now
regarded as of specific or '.sub-specific'' value
Indeed, We have even heard it whispered that
species" of snail has been restricted to the
individuals inhabiting particular tree-trunk.
AS in stamps, refinement in making dstinc-
tons is almost an inseparable sequence of an
dent collecting; but it is permissible 10 doubt
characteristic of the present decade, will
eventually be included in the biological
progress of the Victorian era
R. Lydekker, B. A. Cantab, F. R. S.