Essay on the theory of the earth / by M. Cuvier ; with mineralogical notes, and an account of Cuvier's geological discoveries by Professor Jameson.

  • Cuvier, Georges, baron, 1769-1832.
Date:
1817
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Essay on the theory of the earth / by M. Cuvier ; with mineralogical notes, and an account of Cuvier's geological discoveries by Professor Jameson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

    91/392 (page 61)
    § 25. Of the small Prohabilily of discovering new Species of the larger Quadrupeds. Naturalists certainly have neither explored all the continents, nor do they as yet know even all the quadrupeds of those parts which have been explored. New species of this class are disco- vered from time to time ; and those who have not examined with attention all the circumstan- ces belonging to these discoveries, may allege al- so, that the unknown quadrupeds, whose fossil bones have been found in the strata of the earth, have hitherto remained concealed in some islands not yet discovered by navigators, or in some of the vast desarts which occupy the middle of Af- rica, Asia, the two Americas, and New Holland. But, if we carefully attend to the kinds of quad- rupeds that have been recently discovered, and to the circumstances of their discovery, we shall easily perceive that there is very little chance in- deed of bur ever finding alive those which have only been seen in a fossil state. Islands of moderate size, and at a considerable distance from the large continents, have very few quadrupeds, and these mostly very small.