New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-08-16

waves are followed and preceded by times OF cbb in
our investigation Of this matter under the disadvantage
that tho modern periods evidently ono OF the times VI
say 4ery @ "a 70 s
question Of origin o. species mSat ave Deeo yer, df
that since the glacial age species OF mammal eau
De proved TO have originated on our continent. while
appeared II possible that the proxmatc secondary
causes Of tho ebb and how OF life production may be IN
efficient causes may behind these In case thses
unduatons in the history OF life are IN harmony With
1t results from tho and the Immediately preced-
ing statement, that specific and generic types enter on
the stage In force and gradually taper OF toward
extinction They should appear in the geological d.
agrans made to Illustrate the succession o. iie Thsap
pos 10 these forms Of life which come in with
lowest species and unIhr the most humble giise What
remarkable syarming, for example there must have
the coal formation the only known PrHonatcs four IN
number, belong to rs many generic types.
TRANSMISSION or yARIErAL FORMS
have already referred 10 the permanence Of species In
geological time may place this in connection with
the law Of rapid organization aud more or less continu
transmission OF yarietai forms may perhaps, best
bring this before you in connection with upof
species with which am worry faniiar-that which came
into the beginning OF tho glacial ago and stI
exists. With regard to their pesnanence IT con be A.
rrned that the shells elevated In wales to Zoo,
and In Canada to 600 feet above tho sea. aud which
lived before the last great revolution Of cont
nents period vastly remote al compared with
human history, differ in no little from their mod
after thousands tens Of thousands OF
generations IL also Iva affirmed that tho moro vari
able species appear under precisely the same vatictd
fo,us n now, though these varieties have changed
much their local distribution. The ros Import OF
these statements, which might also he made With regard
to other groups, we'll known Ia paeonlolosie Is OF 50
great significance that it can be Iazcd only after we
have thought Of the vast time and numerous chsnges
through which these humble creatures nave survived
NAL the sand clam. Myo or1"aria and it, rea-
tive uya huncaia, which inhabit together all tho
northern seas for the Pacific specimens from
Japan and California though differently namod,
are undoubtedly DC Mya trUncato appears
in Europe in tho corainc Gag, and was
followed by M o,enartG in the red crag. B"h shells
occur in tho Pleistoceue u America and then several
vare,a forms had already developed themselves in the
orag. and remain the today tina, these huo'ao
molksk ttora Ia their habits and subjected TO great
variety OF conditions. have continued perhaps for one or
two Thousand centuries ~ construct their shells pre-
csely ut pr sent Nor are thoe asy indicatiss n
transition between the two species might make sim
liar with regard 10 the Astartes. Buccinuns.
aud 1eD of the drift ana could illustrate ihen by ex-
tesisye series of specimens froB my collections.
Another curious illustration Is that presented by the
tWtiay and modern fannG Of some oceanic is nds far
separated from the continents. In MadeTa aud Porto
Santo for example. according to Lycll. We have 90
species o lad shell. in the former and IL in the latter,
only l: being the two. though these islands
are only 80 miles apart Now, in the Plioceno strata u
Madeira AMI Porto ,anto find SO ,peces III the former
and 30 in the latter. of which only eight pr cent are
tinct and yet only eIga common to the two slsnds.
Further there to be transitional forms connect
ing the species and of of them the varieties
existed ia the PioceDe now. The main difference IN
time tho extinction OF species and the ntroduc-
ton II Others without known connecting Inks. and tho
mai
and pce All these shells differ IRON those OF
modern Europe but some OF them are allied to Aecohs
species OF continent. Here have casc Of Co.'S
tired existence OF Tie forms, and ga orcunsgce5
Which the more wo think of them tie do they Defy
all our existing theories NJ Ia specific origins.
Perhaps OF the most remarkable facts IN cnu-
nccOn With the permauencc OF yaiiC .s1n 81 species
the,e furnished y that magnificent nora wdich bIss
in ali its majesty tho American continent M tde Gre
taceous period and sill survives amcsS US even IN scme
" its specific types say survives. for We ayo huia
remnant Of It's forms living. and comparatively little
that i new has probably been added since. Tie
fusion which obtains as 10 the age Of THIS fora aud the
recently Mr. g. NJ Dawson, have taken port, obviously
ARISE as the latter has. think, conco'ey shoTn from
the fact that this modern hora was in IT'D earlier tine.
c0tomp0rary with CreaceOus animals and survived
the gradual change from the annal life OF TIE
Oetaceous down 70 that OF The Locene and ever OF the
Moceae. In collection OF these plants from what may
b. termed beds OF transition nom tho Ctaceoa to INC
ferns cufiousiy associated. One . the common
Onocicd SenSi5HS found now very widely over North
Amerca and which in so-caed aiocoae times lived in
Europe also. The other l. DHrGltd febrfOd 81 Eastern
North America, but still abundant on the Other SIDE OF
tho Pacific. Thes" htio ferns are thus pro'aDy sdf
Than The Rocky Mountains and the ilnalayas an reach
back to time whon tA;esozoic Dinosaurs were bccOa-
ing eXNnc and the earliest P.acental nan mails BEN IN
thJn o,r tv.D spcc ~ hnericnn Hazel md many other
familiar plants nave proragated themselves unchanged
Take from the western Mosozoic contrasting yet
illustrative fact In the Jurassic Crtaceois rlck' OF
dan Survey finds Ammonses ana billed osp.alopofs
nv POM "a Wv stffl
nl. that SOM o. hop are apatiy 1T d'si'nci rom
tnrso - lis lie entombed in solid rcca, aud ihe Pacfo
rolls tween as of yore Yet these species, ncra, aud
wnie hand plants that must have ia we tac sur
vivors % geese ccphalorod- Si lived, down to
the present. How my serious i, ali tins. and how
strongly u show me mGScnience in ssic scase Of
merely physical a;caicies on TIC part ct the daiesta-
such facts as these 10 which have referrei a-d many
others which want Of time prevents mo isoo no.!cns.
are IN ono respect cnln1Hty uisa;i>iartsT f0f tAy
show how diicuit must be any attempts "a OK sin
the origin and succession ~ mo- For his r'son icy
are quietly pit aside 81 H. eAisal' S"ay IN mct o. ms
carrent hypothesis on me ;n'e., IN we irat as .a,
Of science face these dllctrS ana TIC ote - s'afca
for act and laws eyoa they should prove ia~ TO pre-
4 group OF new laws however, hero bresi.s npon
a. The great vitality and rapid extension and van atom
of new spocifo types (2 The law of spontaneous cecy
ana mortality Of species III iinc 90 me law y,
pcIoGicity and OF simultaneous appearance 81 many
allied a. The abrupt entrance and s9| decay "a
groups OF species. q, The extremely Ion ..atoh OF
species in time 90 TIE grand march ~ new f"rns
islndward ana uiWaid ia Sh'h N~'e
deeply impress least with the conclusion uat ".
tracing FOL tIitouS succession, but Tie a'S OF
power working by law.
have thus said nothing Of tie bearing o! the prevs
lat ldcas descent VIA moalit atl0R on t vOiuoitui
procession life None 81 these Of c0ursr ear bc cNpect
oil TO take back t. the orr ~ living beings hui they
also fan to explain why vast numbers ~ hghiy organ
red species struggle into existence simultaneously IN ono
sgo and disappear another why no c"nipE",i chaai
or succession "a time con he found gradually Hyndns
species into caeh other and why IN the ratt' sutrssoh
things degradation under the influence Of okt"lnai con
os un final extinction seem Z" be h.ws o. Organic ef
1 il
of the record the movements or nSiati0s OF si,eS
oi..s The record is In many important parts too
c,ptlec aud the OF the entrance OF
tine ,us and lie too certainly esaS ishe'i and NOV
iv snccie, Din ,tace place only cydea the daclsy
IT,. frrlh dat such hypOeses Ne NJ present prele