The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-08
The Romano. Lecture at oxford.

ANuANNFN - NNNN"NAN
The address delivered At the Uni
vcrsitv Of Oxford Yesterday under the
title Of Biological Analogies n Hts
tory is fresh illustration IT the ability
and marvellous versatility ~ THTODORE
ROOSEVELT. We shall not he suspected
Of a tendency IN praise any II his
achievements undulv, but II Is only
doing him Justice % lay that his dis
course was IN every respect worthy at
the occasion and the audience. and
manifested not merely a superficial
acquaintance with the subject whch
he had chosen for discussion hut a
degree II sound scholarship in history
and science for which We had hardly
given him credit and a moderation and
modcsty in the assertion " his own
views which have not always Charac-
terizci his public uttrrances.
As the title Of the address Indicates.
the purpose Of the speaker was to draw
attention to such resenblsnces as can
he Traced between the development Of
the animal world and the great move
ments and changes which have taken
place IN the history " mankind Con-
Cedlng that there il no exact parallel
ism between tho birth growth AMI death
" spccies in the animal world and the
mrth growth and death of soCie'ic, IN
the world " man. strange analOgics
between them are Observable. Some ~
these points Of Likeness we-r discusset.
BY Mr.. ROOSEVELT az considerable
length. who rrefaccd the discussion.
however. nv declaring that We cannot
say az present how far biology can he
usei ~ an aid IN the Interpretation %
human history. His tone in this respect
was very temperate The lecture was
q discourse ol suggestion rather than a
confident scientific pronounccncnt.
The most Interesting illustration in
tn 'oursa II the address refers To the
changes which have occurred in the
character " animal life in South Amer
lea. That continent was once an island
wholly separated from North America.
A. the Close of the geological age known
b. men # solence as the tertiary period
a bridge was uphcavcd between these
two island continents near the line Of
the present l-thmus ~ Panama. Re-
fore that time the fauna n South
Ameri'a had consisted NJ small animals,
Including SPECIES whlch represented
the existing antcaiers. slOths and
armadill0s Over the new bridge. saws
Mr. ROOSEVELT the tCcming animal
life # tho northnrn continent had a.
cess 20 this queer southern continent.
Elephants. caWels, horses. tapirs. swine.
sahre toothod tigers, hig cats. wolves
beaFs. deer crowded ntoSoutb America
warning each against the other comers
and against tho old long existing forms 20
This INVASION totally changed tho South
Ame-csn fauna. Not only did that
continent become populated by the
various SPORES from tho north which
We have mentioned. bur tho creatures
ALREADY inhabiting South America DO
vel0ped greater power and prowess:
thr-r we're giant ground sloths well
nigh 20 large as elephants, aud armored
animals AZ bulky as an OF but str1Ic-
turalv - tho armadtllo or antaater
tyre on tho whole the fauna If
South imsri'a became NJ varied rs n
that ~ Afrioa today. hut still more
remarkable on account of the formida-
be $40 and icrocity II its flesh eating
beasts.
Th"n. on NJ = sudden. these ferre and
gigantic species died out and South
America again bccams the home NJ only
comparatively small mammals. "a II IS
TODAY 40 mo knows how or why this
happened 1hsrn wns M ire age such
~ s0ems - explain similar changes in
orhe- PORTIONS II the rlobs. Tho prob
lem Of tho speedy and cuinplete destr1Ic-
tion ~ rhc giant animals of South AMER
i'7 fnuain- ~ ye,,pnsolvei
Are snv ~ the great nations ~ civil
led mankind which now dominate the
earth tn Icr'sh from its FACE utterly.
after no" manner 81 this great south
american fauna, This and other CUES
iious 81 Ike import are suggested bv
Mr. ROOsgyrIr's Oxford address with
ont being positively answered A
usual wi'h him, however. he empha-
-,lc, the peril 10 hc apprahended from
rae" su.rid". livery nation will die out
which does not produce plenty Of chill
dfcH. and then they must he potential
fighters too. Il needs bat little OF the
vision Of a seer 20 fOretell what must
happen in any community" says the
Colonel. n the average woman ceases
~ heroine the mother ~ a family Of
healthy children. and " the average man
loses the will and power 10 work up
." Old age and N hght whenever the
need arises We may remark in NO
spirit ~ unkindncss that We dinlv
Tecoll"c' having heard this ,eiore.
The Oxford lecture is longer than any
other Of Mr ROosEvELT's Europsar