The History of the European Fauna

Abstract

THE title that we have chosen for this review of Dr. Scharff's volume is really rather more expressive of the scope of the book than is his own title. For he deals at greater length with the fauna of our own country than with that of Europe in general. This is by no means a defect to be urged in considering his statements and arguments; on the contrary, we think that it will add to the interest of the book; and besides Great Britain has a fauna which practically only differs from that of adjacent parts of Europe in its poverty. The reduction of the number of individuals and of species of indigenous creatures was set down by Mr. Wallace to the recent glaciation of these islands, which, occurring, as it was supposed to do, after the land connection with Europe had been broken through, destroyed many forms coming originally from more southern regions. The severance of the land connections hindered a repopulation when more favourable climatic conditions were reestablished. Dr. Scharff is one of those who do not believe in great possibilities of migration over stretches of sea for purely terrestrial animals. There are of course such cases on record; but they are really not numerous. Dr. Scharff mentions several that are of recent occurrence. He tells us that Colonel Fielden, when in the Barbadoes, witnessed, or heard of, the arrival of an alligator which must have traversed a tract of ocean of 250 miles. There are also well-known experiments which show that animals might be imported in a natural way from distant and transpontine countries. The resistance of certain snails and other molluscs to the effects of sea-water when guarded by their diaphragm has been proved by the classical experiments of Darwin. It is, however, disappointing to learn from Dr. Scharff how dangerous it is to argue from experiments which can so readily be made to the actual phenomena of nature.

The History of the European Fauna.

By R. F. Scharff Pp. vii + 364; illustrated. (London: Walter Scott, Ltd., 1899.)