XXI.

veyance would be still more common to smaller animals. BOOK Hence the migrations of the different kinds of polar animals does not prove that the two continents were formerly contiguous. A bridge of ice, such as Cook found, is sufficient to account for these migrations.

The Isatis or Polar Fox, an animal different from the Isatis or common fox, appears to like the cold more than the rein polar fox. deer, or even the white bear; for the bear retires, or conceals itself at the approach of the polar night; and it is only then that the isatis makes its appearance. This animal is not confined to the immediate vicinity of the pole, it advances as far as the Aleutian Islands and Kamtchatka on one side, and on the other to Iceland and Lapland.

Some other species, which could swim, may have passed over by the Aleutian Islands, or by Behrings' Straits. Amongst these the river Otter should be named, which is Otter. found upon the old continent, from the 70th degree, to about the 20th, in the kingdom of Siam; but in the European countries on the shores of the Mediterranean, it is scarcely ever seen, having been probably expelled in consequence of the cultivation of the soil. In the new world, its principal range is between the 50th and 40th parallels. The Marsh Otter is confined to a still narrower range in the ancient continent, viz. the space between the 65th and 50th parallels of northern latitude. The Marine Otter seems to prefer the coasts of Kamtchatka, and the north-west of America, from the 65th to the 40th degree.*

The industrious and peaceful Beaver was once, perhaps, Beaver. a native of all the countries of the globe, or at least of the whole of the northern temperate zone, for their habitations existed in Italy, in Persia, and in Egypt. This half civilized race of animals has been extirpated by man. In the new world, we still find small communities of beavers, from the 60th to the 30th northern parallel. But even in the deserts of Canada, they have withdrawn to a great distance from the residence of man.

BOOK

XXI.

The mar

ten.

Lynx.

The elk.

Squirrels, mountain rats, &c.

To the Marten is assigned about two-thirds of the northern temperate zone, beginning at the 67th degree in Europe, the 64th in Asia, and the 60th in America. Zimmermann alleges that it is to be met with in Madagascar, in the kingdom of Anziko, and in Guyana; but the only circumstance which has been proved is, that the marten, properly so called, as well as the valuable Sable Marten, is dispersed over the Aleutian Islands, where the Siberian marten is never to be found.*

The distribution of some other kinds of animals is uncertain. The Lynx, that tyger of cold climates, lives to the south of the polar circle; in the ancient continent, he appears as far north as the Pyrenees, and in Mongolia. We are but imperfectly acquainted with those animals of the new world, particularly of Carolina and of North Mexico, to which the name of lynx has been given.

The Elk, an animal which is every day becoming more rare, seems to dread extreme cold, since in Europe it very seldom passes to the north of the 64th parallel; on the other hand, it is never found to the south of the 52d degree. In Asia, the farther we advance towards the east, the more does it range to the south. The American elk, though not much different, appears to belong to a particular race, as the genuine elk of Asia does not pass Kamtchatka and the Kurile islands. The region of the elk in America begins under the parallel at which it terminates in Europe, that is, to the south of Hudson's bay, and extends to New England, or perhaps in the interior as far as to the Ohio.

The Flying Squirrel never ventures farther either north or south, than the limits of the fir forests in which it makes its abode. The Mountain Rat follows in Europe the chain of the Alps and the Carpathian mountains. It does not exist in Scandinavia, but is to be seen in Poland, and the Ukraine. It is found at the mouth of the Don, and proba

* Georgi, Description de la Russie, iii. 1533, sqq.

Id. ibid. 1607.

XXI.

bly in Caucasus; it inhabits the Ural mountains near the BOOK river of Kama, and from thence the race has been propagated as far as Daouria. In the new world, this animal is found from Canada to Virginia, and even upon the Bahama islands. The Badger and some other small animals inhabit equally the northern half of the temperate zone; but the identity of these species is neither established nor disproved in a manner quite satisfactory.

peds be

continent.

The quadrupeds which exclusively belong to the one or Quadru the other of the two continents, are in general such as are longing to unable to support the cold which prevails beyond the 60th the ancient parallel. The Lemming however, a species of mouse, which often migrates, in vast numbers, from one country to another, inhabits the whole of the frozen zone of the ancient continent, but has not been discovered in America. The animal named the Musk, resides in the mountains of Asia, from Cachemire and the Altai, to the mouths of. the river Amur; it is not spread over any part of the new world. There are still some exceptions less remarkable.

two humps.

Certain animals appear to be attached to the confines of what may be called the torrid part of the temperate zone. The Camel seems to have originally come from Bactri- Camel with ana, or Great Bucharia.* It lives in European Turkey, in the Crimea, and amongst the Kirguises and Baschkirs, under the 55th degree of latitude, and in a very rigorous climate. We find it even throughout the whole of Sougaria, in Mongolia, and in the country of the Mantcheoux Tartars, where the winter begins in September and ends in May. The camel does not advance farther than the 28th degree, in China and India. It cannot exist in the peninsula of Hindustan; but in Arabia it has been inured to live nearer the torrid zone.

The Dromedary or camel with one hump, well known Camel with for its fleetness, appears to have come from Arabia, or

Arist. Hist. Anim. cap. 1. Plin. viii. 18. Bochart, Hierozoicon, lib. ii. cap. 4. p. 87, 89.

Pallas, Voyages en Russie, ii. 302. sqq. iii. 20. sq7.

Bochart, i. c.

one hump.

XXI.

BOOK Africa. It has been brought as far as South China; but it thrives best in Africa, where it is to be met with in Egypt, in Barbary, on the banks of the Senegal and the Gambia, in Nigritia, and even in Guinea and Abyssinia. We had conjectured that it was an inhabitant even of the centre of Africa; the English journals announce, that it was lately observed to the north of the country of the Boushouanas, under the tropic of Capricorn; but the account which they give requires confirmation.

The Ga

Both kinds of camels appear to be chiefly attached to that long tract of mountainous country, and naked elevated plains, which traverse the whole of the old continent, and on which they find saline plants, such as the salsola, the statice, the artemisia, the cherry of the steppes, and the Cytisus hirsutus, which serve for their ordinary food.

The nimble Chamois loves the mountains of the temperate zone, the tops of the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Appenines, the Carpathian mountains, Caucasus, and the country of Siberia, to the banks of the Ischim.

The Antelope saiga, and the antelope with the goitre, inzelle, ante- habit the upland plains of Tartary; the former is found as lope, &c. far as the 55d parallel. The Gazelle, with its mild and brilliant eyes, prefers the more southern countries; a native of Caucasus, along with the chamois, the gazelle extends its range as far as Arabia, and across the whole of Africa to Senegambia. It is to be met with in the southern temperate zone, and in Cafraria, together with a great number of other species of antelope. The race of antelopes follows, like the camels, the great upland plains of the old continent. There are species, however, which appear to be peculiar to the cold temperate zone.

Jackal.

The Jackal lives, according to Zimmermann, in Turkey, in Barbary, in Bengal, and in general in the countries of Asia and Africa situate between the 43d and 8th degrees of northern latitude. But an animal which lives so near

*Géographie de toutes les parties du Monde, publiée par Mentelle et MalteBrun, i. 518.

the line may certainly pass it; the supposed wolves of Congo BOOK and of Cafraria appear to us to be jackals.

XXI.

The Buffalo, commonly regarded as originally coming Buffalo.

from the torrid zone, has been domesticated, and carried as far north as the 46th degree, both in Europe and Asia. It is probable that the bonasus described by Aristotle, and which lived wild in the mountains of Pæonia, a district of Thracia, was a species of buffalo. There are two other species which occupy each a separate tract of country.

The Grunting Ox, or the Yak, inhabits the upland plains Grunting of Mongolia or Thibet.

ox.

The Buffalo of Cafraria, appears to be spread over all Buffalo of Africa; for why should we not refer to this species all the Cafraria. ancient accounts of bulls of a monstrous size, carnivorous, and objects of terror both to men and animals, which were alleged to have been seen in Upper Ethiopia, that is, in Sennaar and Abyssinia, and to which Philostorgus gives the name of bull-elephants? These accounts have been confirmed by the evidence of modern times. The species with movcable horns, indistinctly noticed by the ancients, appears to have been rediscovered upon the Mozambique coast. It is possible that we shall yet meet with the oxen and buffaloes of the Garamantes, whose horns pointing towards the earth, forced them to move backwards as they fed.

A numerous family of Apes gambol in the forests between Quadruthe tropics, and show rather a dislike to the temperate torrid zone peds of the climates, at least in their wild state. The apes that live of the old out upon the rocks of Gibraltar, have propagated in that situation, but they have degenerated.

continent.

As the word ape has been taken in a very generic ac- Apes. ceptation, it is said that this animal, though confined to the torrid zone, is equally to be met with in the two continents;

Arist. Hist. Anim. ii. cap. i. 9. ix. cap. 45. de part. animal, iii. 2.

† Agatharcid, ap Phot. Biblioth. cap. 39. Strabo, Geog. xvi. p. 533. edit. Casaub. 1. Plin. viii. 21. (we must distinguish the oxen of India with very large horns, Plin. viii. 45. Ælian. Hist. Anim. xvii. 45.)

Ludolf. Comment. ad Histor. Ethiop. i. cap. 10. iii. cap. 11.