some rests (Balears, Corsica, Sardinia). The history of this
ancient continent reflects in a remarkable way in to­
day's composition of flora and fauna. Some endemic types
appear here as the rests of the original Tyrrhenian vege­
tation and fauna. If similar organisms are found, on the
fragments of a continent now very isolated, it is neces­
sary to assume, that they got there in the time, when these
territories were connected. Many zoological proofs of this
assumption were given and a very good elaboration of
this theme was made by HOLDHAUS.
The finding-places, separated to-day were, as assumed,
connected by land, where single species could migrate. So
called land-bridges were assumed for the connexion of
islands with to-day's continent („Landbrücke"), by means
of which organisms, migrating by land only, reached the­
se islands. The connexion of Corsica and Sardinia with
Middle Italy was effected by a land-bridge via the island
of Elba (Elba-Brücke), the connexion with Tunis by the
Galita-Brücke via the island of Galita. Tunis was further
connected with Sicily, and in this way some species could
penetrate even to the Atlas. These bridges were crossed
by some old autochtonous species, in the middle Miocene
at the latest, after the origin of the Tertiary mountainranges, into the Apennins and North Africa. The conne­
xion of Sicily and Tunis lasted until the Diluvium. The
analysis of the ecological character of the endemic Tyrr­
henian types is very important for the following deduc­
tions concerning the climate and geomorphology of the
ancient Tyrrhenia. Wood species, macchies predominated,
some torrentical species were also present. Tyrrhenia was
a mountains-country covered by woods and macchies with
clean running creeks. These results, obtained from zoolo­
gical material bear out the proofs of the plants material.
By BRIQUET, three typical Tyrrhenian species are re­
ported ( H e l l e b o r u s l i v i d u s : Corsica, Sardinia, Ba­
lears; A r e n a r i a b a l e á r i c a : Corsica, Sard., Monte
Christo; B e l l i u m b e l l i d i o i d e s : Cors., Sard., Tose,
Bal.). In a detailed study many other proofs are found.
S e s l e r i a i n s u l a r i s is typical Tyrrhenian also, which
completely bears out the zoological results. This species
grows at lower shaded positions, sometimes climbing to
the higher subalpine zone. A more detailed study of the
ecological character would be necessary, because from the
brief labels little can be settled; and I do not know this
species out in nature. The migration agrees completely:
Balears, Corsica, Sardinia, Etruria. It is therefore a Tyrr­
henian relict.
If we know an approximate or rather the slightest in­
dication of the age of the species, we get a good clue to