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Decemb. 21st L'Institut 1838. p. 412. M. Eichwald has published Fauna of Caspian - fishes fresh water kinds (yet living in the salt?) -very few animals of any kind - Fauna, must be very curious.

With respect to the non-development of Mollusca, which I have sometimes speculated might be owing to absolute quantity of vitality in the World, the production of vitality, as argued by Müller from propagation of infinite numbers of individuals from one, is adverse.

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Decemb. 25th. Lyell says the elevated shells in Bayfields district are much more like those of Scandinavia, than of the N. American species -Glacial periods Dr. Beck says the shells in Scandinavia from height of 200 & 300 ft are identically same as those of present seas - now in this country we have better means of judging of slowness of physical changes, than in any other, & yet 200-300 ft elevation & no change & even no loss of species.