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and animals, found recent in southernlatitudes; but that the converse of thisis not true.

The elephant of the Lena river presentedan entire skeleton covered with skin andhair; the character of the hair by no meansjustifies the common opinion that thisanimal was the native of a southern climate.

Its remarkable preservation is owing pro-bably to the ice by which it was sur-rounded; and if so, the ice must haveformed nearly at the same time at whichthe elephant died; thus we obtain a clueto the temperature which then prevailedin that part of the world, and a proofthat the same degree of cold has prevailedthere ever since. These facts are of greatimportance to the speculative geologist,but, as yet, thoroughly inexplicable, andit is better to avow our ignorance than todisplay it.

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