The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-10
SOME NEW hooks.
whence the European Animals Came.

SOME NEW hooks.
whence the European Animals Game.
In q volume Of $50 pages. DR.. H. r. ScHARFF,
the keeper Of the Natural History collections IN the
Dublin Science and Art Museum. has undertaken
70 trace The History Of the European Fauna
tScribners). Not only are the existing species Of
animals dealt win in this book, but the extinct
ones. also. are considered or at least those
which lived in Europe during late Tertiary
times a knowledge Of tn" past fauna Is, indeed,
q most important factor in thu process of deduc.
Ing the urTina hpmr NJ the European animals.
Where species first originated canno, indeed.
b. determined with absolute certainty In tho pre-
sent state II our knowledge, but. ~ n ruiz, II
can b. indicated with a reasonable approach
90 precision But even where VIC cannot tell
where the frgt hpn' ~ SPECIES was. II Is possible
10 aver with confidence from what direction "
first extended it, range 10 Europe For example.
II Is now positively known that = number Of tho
mnmmils snc b'rds inhab''inr Central nd Eastern
EUROPE cam" ththcr from Sbrria. How nd when
they came will be- found discussed in the Nth
chapter Of the book before ua II will
suffice 10 mention here that in the super
ficial Plcistoccnr deposits Of the North Euro.
pean plains have been discovered the remains
Of many typical members Of the Siberian Steppe
lope, still inhnbt portions Of Eastern Europe.
whils others have rrtrcated to their native lands.
But II may h. asked. how Is II known that these
species did not originate in Europe, and thence
migrate TO Sib ria Because u they had origina ed
ON the European continent, they would have spread
thsre. They would have invaded Northern and
Southern EUROPE and they would probably, have
left some remains in Spain, Italy aud Greece They
would. also. have left some Of their near relations
in Europe as matter of fact, all their nearest
allies are Asiatic Moreover and this completes
II seems, the proof Of their Siberian origin the
PlcistoCene remains II these animals In Europe b.
come less abundant, and the number Of species
decreases as W. proceed from east to west
with these remains of Srppc animals
are generally associated those Of others. which
must also b looked upon az Siberian cmgrants
such as hill'ss harrs, the pouchrd marmots and
others Som" NJ these fau still inhabit Central and
Eastern Europ" whilst others have n wider dis
tnbuiion on the European Cont nent The mi ration
from Siberia must hav. b'cn an unusually large
one II has been suggested that the Glacial period
had some connection with IT, and there can b. little
doubt that n change " climate occasiOncd the great
Siberian invasion Oi EUROPE. Other causes how.
ever, might tend IN the same direction such as
want Of sufficient food experienced after a partic,i
lar species had greatly Increased during a few
years. II Is not known TO what should b~ ascribcd
the periodic visits IT the Central Asiatic sand.
grouse but certain II Is that immense fiocks Of
these birds invade Europ- from time 10 time at
the present day, Just as the mammals previously
mentioned may have done in past arcs. Nor
were the siberian mGrations the only ones which
reached Europe from Asia The sixth CHAPTER
OF this book treats 81 migrHtions which have in
furnoed the European fauna far more than thu
Siberian. The latr did not last long,
nor did they affect the whole of Europe
On the other hand. what may b. called
thu Oriental mGrat'ons spread to every corner Of
Europe. and certainly lasted throughout the
whole NJ the Tertiary era. The Oriental element
cam- probably from Central and Southern Asia
and, IN 'ts march through Northern Europ- was |
o'nrd by local European migrat'ons for IN Europe.
ilI1. animals originated and spread in |
Ill directions from their centres Of dispersion. ,
separate chapter IS given to the Alpine fauna |
md another Ia that 81 Southwestern Europe !
which is designated aS the I.usitnnian element )
finally, animals have reached Europe from the |
north; and in the fourth chapter the history 1
II that remarkable migration is discussed under ,
he title Of the Arctic Element oi the Europcnn !
Fauna" It was. at one tim. generally believed
hat Aircn played Important role in tho peopling
v the European Continent but this DR..
Schard considers mistake lie concurs with the |
Swiss pnlrontoogiSt Rutimcyer in dcrminr Il |
much more prch'bl" that Morocco. Algeria and |
ltiniS were stocked with rnimals from Europe. by !
way Of Gibraltar, and perhaps also by way Of |
sicily and Malta than that the South Of EuroDe |
vas stocked from Africa