poch. The range of a
very large number of animals and plants is such as can only be explained
by assuming that Tunis, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, and Southern Italy
were connected with one another. Of such extensive land-connections
subsequent to the arrival of the northern marine mollusca we possess,
however, no geological evidence whatsoever; and it is extremely
improbable that the land-areas which had sunk were once more raised
before again subsiding. The many animals whose presence in the
Mediterranean Region bears witness to these ancient land-connections
could not have arrived there in miocene times--in fact, they could
hardly have lived there before the end of the Pliocene Epoch. On the
other hand, it seems difficult to believe, once the Straits of Gibraltar
were open and the waters of the Atlantic able to enter the
Mediterranean, that the sunken parts between Sicily, Italy, and Tunis
could have been raised without affecting the entire area of that sea.
Nor is it likely that the junction between these countries could have
then been brought about by a general lowering of the Mediterranean
waters. As it may be asked what evidences we possess at all for the
supposition of such land-connections as I have indicated, also that
Southern Italy and Greece were connected, a few of the more salient
instances of distribution bearing on this problem may be of interest.

I have already referred to the occurrence of the remains of a small race
of Red Deer in the caves of Malta, similar to those still living in
North-west Africa, Corsica, and Sardinia. The Black-mouthed Weasel
(_Mustela boccamela_) inhabits Persia, Asia Minor, Greece, South Italy,
Sicily, and Sardinia, while _Mustela africana_ is found in Malta and
Algiers. The European Porcupine inhabits Asia Minor, the island of
Rhodos, Greece, Southern Italy, Sicily, North Africa, and Spain. Then we
have the Wild Sheep of Asia Minor, Cyprus, Sardinia, and Corsica, all of
which are closely allied. The small shrew-like _Crocidura etrusca_
occurs in South France, Italy, Sicily, and North Africa. Many other
mammalia might be quoted, but these are sufficient for our purpose.

There are a good many reptiles and amphibians with a similar
distribution. The European Chamaeleon (_Chamaeleon vulgaris_) has been
found in South Spain, North Africa, and Sicily. The Snake _Periops
hippocrepis_ is confined to Spain, Sardinia, and Greece. The worm-like
Lizard _Blanus cinereus_ inhabits some o