As it is not likely that any portion of the waters of the sea have been absorbed by the earth during the late epochs in the world’s history, therefore the ocean waters have not diminished except during cold periods, when the water evaporated from the sea was converted into ice, and, eventually, again returned to the sea. Thus it necessarily follows that, when the seas of the northern hemisphere contained a much larger portion of the waters of the globe than at this age, the seas of the southern hemisphere must have contained proportionally less. Consequently, during such times a portion of the shoal seas of the high southern latitudes must have been dry land. Therefore, this must have been the condition of the shallow sea basins in the region of Cape Horn. Mr. Wallace also says that “many peculiarities in the distribution of plants and some groups of animals in the southern hemisphere render it almost certain that there has sometimes been a greater extension of antarctic lands during Tertiary times.” And he also asserts that the great ocean basins have not changed, and that the form of continents has been permanent. It will thus be seen that it was through the movement of the ocean’s waters southward that the low lands south of Cape Horn were covered with water previous to the frigid periods, and so caused the wide separation between the western continent and the antarctic lands. The Cape Horn channel thus enlarged, the continuous mildness of the high southern latitudes which possessed the earlier ages came to an end, and gave place to alternate epochs of frigid and mild weather. For it appears that it is owing to the creation or enlargement of the Cape Horn channel that it is possible for frigid periods to be brought about, for the reason that its enlarged space of water prevents the westerly winds from maintaining a great low sea-level in the higher latitudes of the southern ocean; for, whenever the capacity of the Cape Horn channel is enlarged, the westerly winds, instead of maintaining a low sea-level on the South Atlantic, employ their force in impelling the surface water of the southern seas around the globe. And this work the strong westerly winds of the high southern latitudes have always accomplished whenever the Cape Horn channel was widely open, and this is what the winds are doing at this date.