er
instances.<30> Eleven species, growing in the Rocky Mountain regions
in Rocene times, found their way to Europe in the Miocene times,<31>
driving before them the plants of a tropical growth that had hitherto
flourished in England. Now this implies land connection between the two
continents. Furthermore, animals both large and small are found common
to the two countries.<32> The climate over what is now the North
Temperate Zone, and even further. north, must have been delightful.
There is ample testimony to this effect in the rich vegetative remains
over wide areas.

In Spitzbergen, within twelve degrees of the pole, where now a dwarf
willow and a few herbaceous plants form the only vegetation, and
the ground is most of the time covered with snow and ice, there were
growing, in Miocene times, no less than ninety-five species of trees,
including yews, hazels, elders, beech, elms, and others.<33> But it is
in the Miocene forests of the continent of Europe where we meet with
evidence of a singularly mild climate.

There were at least eleven species of palms growing in Switzerland; and
one variety of them grew as far north as Northern Germany.<34>

We can not give a list of all the species. On the one hand, there were
elms, willows, poplars, oaks, and beeches, thus far similar to the
forest growth of temperate regions. Mingled with these were forests of
trees like the tulip-tree, swamp cypress, and liquid amber or sweet gum
of the southern part of the United States--plants whose home is in the
warm and moist regions of the earth. But there were also representatives
of the tropical regions--such as fig-trees, cinnamon-trees, and
camphor-trees: these are found growing now in tropical countries.
Fruit-trees of the cherry, plum, and almond species were also to be
seen. Prof. Heer points out how all this should convince us that a large
part of Europe, in the Miocene Age, possessed a climate not unlike that
of the Madeira or Canary Islands to-day. He calls especial attention to
the fact that these trees were nearly all of evergreen species, and that
a severe winter would destroy them. He finds one hundred and thirty-one
species of the Temperate Zone--species that can stand a moderate amount
of cold, but not very hot and dry climates. He finds eighty-five species
of tropical plants that could not possibly live where the Winters are
severe. Mingled with these were nearly three hundred species whose
natural home is in the warm,