Origin of Species Variorum

world: Norfolk Island, the Viti Archipelago, the Bonin Islands, the Caroline and Marianne Archipelagoes, and Mauritius, all possess their peculiar bats. Why, it may be asked, has the supposed creative force produced bats and no other mammals on remote islands? On my view this question can easily be answered; for no terrestrial mammal can be transported across a wide space of sea, but bats can fly across. Bats have been seen wandering by day far over the Atlantic Ocean; and two North American species either regularly or occasionally visit Bermuda, at the distance of 600 miles from the mainland. I hear from Mr. Tomes, who has specially studied this family, that many ... species have enormous ranges, and are found on continents and on far distant islands. Hence we have only to suppose that such wandering species have been modified ... in their new homes in relation to their new position, and we can understand the presence of endemic bats on oceanic islands, with the absence of all other terrestrial mammals.

Another interesting relation exists, namely between the depth of the sea separating islands from each other or from the nearest continents, and the degree of affinity of their mammalian inhabitants. ↑ Mr. Windsor Earl has made some striking observations on this head, since greatly extended by Mr. Wallace's admirable researches, in regard to the great Malay Archipelago, which is traversed near Celebes by a space of deep ocean, and this .. separates two widely distinct mammalian faunas. On either side the islands stand on a moderately shallow submarine bank, and these are inhabited by the same or by very closely allied quadrupeds. I have not as yet had time to follow up this subject in all .. quarters of the world; but as far as I have gone, the relation generally holds good. For instance, Britain is separated by a shallow channel from Europe, and the mammals