The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-11
PROFESSOR OWENS NEW WORK.
The Anatomy of Vertebrates-Yhe DerI-
walton Theory

iisheu IN England, and the London Examiner
gives the following account Of IL, with interest.
ing eStracts:-
Professor Owen has, however, given us a
kcarelul and detailed exposition OF the anatomy of
nammals, aud the volume abouuds IN excel
lent material for thought and practical appli.
catlon. 1t Is divided into chapters, which treat
Roi the muscular, nervous, dental, alimentary,
aosorbent, circulatory, respiratory, tegumeu-
<tary, and generatlve systems OF the several
kofders OF vertebrates, Tue most interesting
portion of the WORK is Chapter XL, embracing
the authors general conclusions. This, OF
course, Will possess great value aud excite an
especial Interest, as in some seventy or eighty
n pages the author generaizes the facts in
Dlolog1cal science which have OF late years
attracted so much attention, not alone in this
country but In every other where comparative
anstamY Is known and studied. The chapter
closes with an interesting summary of the
hom0logies of the teeth to which Is appended
loot note; and since it has an especial bearing
OF interest on the question OF mans place in
nature, one OF late good deal debated, we
! quote II in tull:-
In honest argument AZ to mans place in
nature, his geological characters are TO be com.
4 pared With those of the brute thatc nearest
10 MN; the di1ereuces so established should be
contIasted with those between such brute, the
gorilla 2. g., aud the next step in the scale the
chlmpaDz,c, G. g,j and so on, step by step,
a through the order which Zoology forms of the
a series OF species so gradually differentiated.
No doubt a gorilla differs more in its dentitiou
| nom lomOr, and still more mole or a mouse,
acter-the hinder or 10 Wer limbs; e. q, contrast
the negTo in this respect with the gorilla, and
next, that ape with any other quadrumaual
/ Much as the aye-aye differs as a whole from the
gorilla, it does resemble it more in such quad.
rumanal structure than the gorilla resembles
| man. Between the two extremes of the tour
handed series, there is greater organic
conformity in the main ordinal character
Than exists between the highest ape
and the lowest man. Or take the
cerebral test. Mans place in the natural system
HpUrpn n Htn
between the brain of an ape and that of a
mammal enc hundred links removed, but by
the degree OF difference between the human
brain and that OF the brute which comes nearest
TO MIN, as contrasted with the degree of differ
ence between the brains of the gorilla aud
chimpauzee, or between those of any other two
conterminous societies constituting links in the
quadramanols chain. The difference bet Teen
fgs. lat and l48-49 may be greater than between
I49 and 100 (vol. p; but truth cOmpeis the
rematB that the lemur and ape are separated
by numerous gradatioaal species; whilst
between the ape and man there is no known
connecting or intermediate link, Logiclans
have long ago exposed aud branded the sophlsm
which has OF late been propounded to persuade
men that they are of the order OF apes"
The last chapter begins with brief eXposi-
ton of Cuviers theological views which o wen
was gradually led TO abandon for la of spe-
cial homoiogies, thus establishing an ideal type
for the vertebrate series. And he observes:-
"To demonstrate the evidence of the commu-
nifty of organization, found that the article
OF an archtype vertebrate animal was as
essential as thai of the archetype plate had been
to Goethe in expressing analogous ideas; and
as the like reference TO an ideal type must be
to all who undertake TO make ineligible the
unity iu variety peryading group of organ
isms. From the demonstration OF this principle,
which then satisfied myself was associated
with, and denominated by, tina. of adaptation
to propose the step was plain to me inevitable
10 the conception of the operation of second
ary cause OF the entire series OF species,
whether of plants, or vertebrates, or other
groups of organisms, such cause being the
servant of predetermining g intelligent will.n
To this the following note is appended
Such ideal type' must not be conlounded
with the sH-cslled types supposed to be eX-
emplifed by certain living species. Arguments
against the latter vague and ll-dehnsd ideas
are Of no weight against the former, an6 indi-
cate a certain obtuseness of apprehension in
the objector."
The Professor vigorously defends himself
from being in any way thought TO be a believer
in the Darwinian doctrines OF ''Heterogeuy,"
and while he expresses himself with no unCer-
tain sound on these several hypothesis, he
places in juXtapostion his own derivation"
plan, and firmly believes that generations do
not vary accidentally, in any and every direc-
tion, but in preorjained definite, and correlated
courses.r He adds:-
"Deriyation' holds that every species changes,
in time, by virtue of inherent tendencies there
to. Natural selection holds on the contrary,
that no such change can take place without the
influence OF altered external circumstances
educlng or selecting such change.
"'Derivation' sees among the effects of the
innate tendency 10 cnange, irrespective OF
altered surrounding circumstances a manifesto
ton OF creative power in the variety and beauty
of the results; and, in the ultimate forthcoming
of being susceptible of appreciating such
beauty, evidence of the preorddining of such
relation of power to the appreciation. Natural
selection acknowledges that Ii ornament or
r. beauty. in itself, should be purpose IN crea-
I ton, il would be absolutely fatal to 1t as a
hypothesis.
'a'Natural selection sees grandeur in the
'yieW of lfe,' with it's several powers having
been originally breathed by the Creator into q
few forms or into one. Derivation sees therein
narrow invocation of special miracle, and
an unworthy limitation of creative power, the
n grandeur OF which Is manifested daily, hourly,
Y in calling into life many forms, by conversion
of physical and chemical into vital modes OF
force under so many diversified conditions o
the requisite elements to be so combined.
"'Natural selection leaves the subsequent
origin and succession OF species to the iOrtui
tous concurrence of outward conditions.
"'Derivauon' recognizes a purpose in the de
fined AID pTeordained course, due to innate
capacity or power OF change, by which homo
generously created protocol have rlsen to tn
higher forms OF plants aud animals. In sh )rt
the hypothesis of derivation rests upon conclu
siops fiom four great series OF luductively estat
hshed facts, together with probable result o
facts, OF fifth class; the hypothesis of 'natura
aelection' totters on the extension OF coujeC
4 tural condition, explanatory OF extinction to th
origination of species, Inappllcable in tha
extension to the majority OF ORGANISM, and DC
known or observed TO apply to The origin OF an
Species" ,r
OF the still more receHt hyroth esis, 'Pangt
4nesis " he obseIVes:-
.'Those who hold by this rag OF preexistent
of germs call all organic corpuscles or era
[ mules 'ceeemmules,' and maintain that the
are transmitted, sometimes being developed
! fnnpc ID inu DpnprAt10n