, 1873-07-27


prosorvo ltsolf, did 80 uao ita molioum of in:cl-
1fgonco as to booomo n worm. Then tho worm,
to prosorvo itsolf against tho natural elements
consplring againHt Its life, puts on q coat Of
mil. Mailod-wormB aro Of recent discovery. |
Thoy coustltuto tic link betwoon the soft |
wormH and tho star-flsheH. II Is necessary |
to aast1mo also thnt tho ti1no occupied by |
tho soft-worm In becoming q mnied-uorm, |
ts, 30 far aB human knowledge goes,
practically Infinite. A microscopical clasB Of !
worms has caso precisely like crabs, and ia |
tho link botwoon crabB and soft worms, Another |
worm which has mouth, gutlet, stomach, and |
fnteBtinos, is tho link betwoon tho worms and !
tho apocioB Of Bholl animals, h worm incloscd |
III bag distinctly resembles tad-polo, and haa
as much Of . backbone ns tho simplest Of tho !!
baokboned creatures. 4 number Of worms, out
Of tho Instinct or dosiro Of solf-prosorvation,
cling togothor, sometimes Two OF thom, some-
times forty, and becomo star-hsh. They unto
at their postotior onds. 4 littlo worm moves
through tho water. Suddenly 1t is discovered
to bo tho larva Of IN Insect. The various
minute Hogments unto, until tho perfect
insect exhibits thrco pieces; the spider
two. worm, to savo itholf, Develops,
through indeterminato progeny, gills. Thoss
como to bo'ueod as feot tho foot aftor long
lapse, arc mado to save thoir owner by becoming
| wings. Tho link botweon tho backbonod nnd
| tho unbackbonod animals ia tho simplest tlBh,
! which develops precisely liRo a sao-worm that
| Bwima frooly by moans Of its tall md, when it
grows old. attaches itsoH to ohiocta by moana OF
a roof-liko foot. Tho common origin OF back
bouod animals, this link being supplied, ia sup
posed to bo sufficiently demonstrated by tho faot
that tho skulls of tho fish, turtle, bird, mouso,
elephant and man arc composed funda-
mentally at tho aamo bonos, arranged
| In tho aamo manner. Tho foro limb Of all
| backbonod animals, tho arm Of monkey md
man, tho wing Of the bird, the pootoral fin Of tho
fsh,-are oil Identical in structure. Tho original
ancestor had na poBterity modified by difforont
conditions Of o1iatonco. At oortain stages Of
life II is sinpossiblo to distinguish tho e1abryoH
Of turtle, chiekon, dog, and mnn. The simplest
fab iB worm, oxcopt That IT has d backbone.
Tie raud-Ash Of Atrica burrows in the slime
attor tho swollon stroam has fitted, aud con-
struets holo for itself, leaving open only an
air~passago, Whom tho Sator returns, it rotiros
from tho mud, and is, therefore, both reptile and
fish. Tho most ancient bird known Is very
like roptlc, and certain oxtinot roptilos
closely resemble birds. Tho clnmorous birds
wore gradually improved into singing
birds, aud tho climbing birds into birds Of prey
and lying birds. Tho simplest mammal, i'll
whioA species man is included, has q terminal
abdominal arrangement like that Of tho birds
aud reptos. A kangaroo is ono Of tho simplest
Of the mammals, and carries ita young in a
pouch but tho proximato link between nlaul-
malB and birds and reptiles has not boon agreed
upon. Tho kangaroo ia considered the ancestor
Of tho pig and horse.
Tho opossum, using It's big too MS 4 thumb is
tho father Of the monkey. Tie flying iomur is d
link between tho half-apes anl the bats. Half
apes produced truo npes. from the monkey
follows tho orang; from tho orang, tho goriln ;
, from tho gorilla, man; and tho structural differ
oncos botwoon man and tho gorilla are much
less than betwoon tho gorilia aud tho 1owcr apes.
| Tho struggle for existence, whose outcome il
Natural Selection and tho survival Of tho tittest
has boon 30 claboratoy discussed by Darwin
himself thata reasonable comprehension Of itt
value, in concluding whether evolution DO trut
or fa1He, eau only DO had by reading Darwin
and, If tho result thereof DO hostile to Darwin't
hypothesis, Us it il worry Likely to bo. tho labol
| will lave boou rewarded by its own delight, fol
q moro marvellous display Of human knowledge
n Of universal and minute observation, Of plausi
\ bic reasoning and beauty Of rhetoric, has nevo
!, bcen exhibited. Only ono of tho moro striking
+ illustrations may horo DO alluded to. How, TO
instance, came tho height and the neck g
the giraffe ? In Bovero droughts, whom groun'
! vegetation had been destroyed, and trocH alon
!. remained, only those individuals Of tho nasoent
, gralro specca which were able to roaoh til
: foliage survived; and at tho next drought onl
I tho high-reaohing Of their progeny were preBery
cd thus the long neck became m Inheritance.
= Tie faet that variations may be produced /
animals il beyond dispute, animals and plant
j. | under domostication furnishing sufficient proof
4 ALL that is wanted in the Darwinan theory t
u develop slight notifications into great ones
:. individual differences into variotios, varioto
y into apecios-is time enough; and, as ho assume
past time to 10 practically inlnite 1t would seer
, as II ho lad 1t.
j. It is an Inherent part Of tho Darwinia
theory that, with evolution in auims
;, structure, there has bcen grad
a ual development Of mental power. "T1o lo1
grade Of intelligenco Of tho fish is owing t
N its low cerebral organization tie mental activit
r. of tue dog is due to it's comparatively highl
d complex brain." Anta build odi6ccs. tnnnt
rivers, go to battle in bands, and sacrifice thei
A lyeu for each other. They capture slayca; an
:. koop aphidos rs milch COWS. The wonderfu
"a revelations that Agaasiz has recently mado con
a corning tho domestic habits Of boes, Mr. Darwi
|. will undoubtedly consider q valuable contrlbu
=. tion to his theory, Notwithstanding that Ill
Il Agasuiz argues from them m exactly cou
y trary conclusion. Tho mulo OF South Auaol
- lea is as irrational" as-tlo inhabitants
" Oraugs wear clothes, uncorh bottles
!. assist sailors in fixing saila and III
1t loading cargoos, and mako fair cooks If care
If fully watshod. THE link, however, botwecn re-
n,an aud roal monkey has not satisfactorily boo
~ supplied, although various anthropologista b.
ii lieyc tint savage men, ~ in tho Fhiilirp''
ot Islands and IN Boruoo, arc great families
III monkeys.
D. Tho question OF evolution is, i'lloea, two-fo't
:. Has there beou evolution in animal 6tructnr
!, eliminating n tho boautifll human body, au
~ has tAcro boon evolution in intelligence Gu
j., minating in mans rcaAon, md hiH soul?
j., It il certain tint natural history will neyer ii
~ | swer the latter question. It 10 worry doubtl