New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-17
the present show important gaps which are partly

| the present show important gaps which are partly
| completed by the recognition OF extinct species
Paleontology has been of great service in compet-
ing and enriching the natural system by restoring
such missing type and it shows that bis relation
ship exists not only in space, but extends over
periods of time. Recognizing this fact, it would
| still be premature from the post hoe 10 dednce
O proptr hoe that is, to infer causai succession
from simple succession in time. The discovery
| that the embryonic development of animals tine
proposition does not relate to pants runs through
progressive mOrphologica series which essentially
corresponds with the ground features of the natural
| system, can no wise compel rs, in constructing
genealogical tree from the natural SYSTEM to go be-
yond the conception of purely ideal relationship
and to suppose real genealogical dependence. The
purely ideal conception Of this relationship is en-
phasized through two weighty considerations -
namely the purely ideal character of types In the
mineral world and in the sphere of human art; and,
on the other side, the completely and manifoldness
of the relationship which one type sustains TO
| another Taking the example Of the mineral KING
DOM We have, in the related forms OF the crystals,
to deal with types which allow themselves TO De
arranged in natural order yet no one supposes the
genealogical issue of the complicated types from tne
simple ones When the question concerns minerals
which crystalline according to the mon0climcai OF
tricinica form, no doubts that each crystal IN
its formation, follows an imminent law WITHOUT IN
volvng any real genealogical descent; but when the
question concerns the lower order of marine animals
of radial and bilateral type, intermediate forms
are Immediately sought which shall be regarded
not only as members of an ideal relation
ship, but also the steps or stages In
the theological transition from one mOrpholOgcal
type to another The mere uidity Of the transition
exhibited in the middle forms does not change the
argument, for if this alone were sufficient PROOF OK
genealogical origin, we might maintain that the
hyperbola derived from the parabola this from
the ellipse and this from the circle The multiplicity
of middle forms may just as well be the elect OF
deeper lying the evidence OF indication Oh
an actual derivation of form from the other And
this holds equally good whether the unfoded reia-
tonship be spatial or temporal or BOTH For IN
stance the goldfish varies from gold yellow to full
black with every possible intermediate shade so that
we have gradual transition from one shade OF color
to another But il would be rather nasty TO regard
this series of intermediate forms a genetc SERIES
But this error in regard to middle forms Darwin Is
continually making Extending the comparison
simply for the sake of illustration to the sphere OF
human art, when 1T Ii said, for instance, that the
Gothic dome originated in the Roman, and this from
the basilican it would not follow, however gradual
the transition might be, that particular edhce on
the Gothic style of architecture through elective
rebuilding had passed from the round or circu-
Lar style of architecture into the pointed STYLE Ger
tainly there is genetlc growth OF one type
out of the other; but only in an ideal sense
that is, the genesis exists, but not IN
an external sense only ~ psychological
genesis of the artistic thought ideal in which one
type gradually developed itselffrom the other This
shows us that an ideal relationship of types without
81 i'm
in nature; it further shows us domain where the
relationships of real phenomena obviously spring
from the ideal relationships of thor types. This
fact is also strengthened when remember that IN
the domain of organic nature there are also actual
relationships among types which do not rest upon
genetic derivation of one from the Other because
these relationships are formed later IN Doth types
than there can be traced back to a common genoa
logical root. Darwin distinguishes such analogous
resembances from the true genealogical relation
ship for example the resemblance OF the whale TO
the fish, OF the 10 the shrew mouse the resem-
blance in the form of the fallen of the orchidae
and the ascepiedael, and appeals IN VAN TO the
theory of the accommodation to similar conditions OF
life as sufficient cause. Among the apes the gorilla
resembles man most in his foot, the 0urang-Outang
most in his BRAIN the chimpanzee most in the struc-
ture of his body. But it would be preposerous TO
maintain the descent of man from this or that spe-
cies of ape upon of these resemblances For Just
out of this distribution of human resem-
blances in different species Of ape IS 1t
TO be concluded that the common father
of the ape or man did not possess these peculartes
but that they have rather been developed ndepen-
IDENTIFY in different types SO that we must be very
careful about maintaining genealogical relation
ship upon special though characteristic typical re-
semblances 1t is no wonder, then, that Darwins
L 1,,a4 4ipfya onrf-
ing as the genealogical connection is founded upon
this or that resemblance, whlle Other reselDlahces
are neglected or ignored.
If il 10 be observed also that if one had traced
ont the weghtest resemblances and correctly pre-
sented the genealogical pedigree, there would still
be a great number of weighty typical resem-
blances proving an ideal relationship which would
have no expression in system which only presented
the genealogical Conference because the ideal rela-
tonships are richer, more varied and more compre-
hensive than the necessarily graduated connection
of the limited genealogical relationship. Indeed,
the figure of a genealogical tree is no proper image
for the expression of the natural SYSTEM because 1t
fails TO express the existing rng-like and net-like
relationships. The rng-like relationship consists in
this, that in q series of types the hrst shows
common, characteristic with the second, the
second with the third, the third with the
fourth and so on and finally the last with
the first. In such cases it is very difficult to
distinguish the method and growth of the genealogi-
cal relationship. The task is still more difficult
when we come the reticuated netlike relation
ship-that is, when among the single members of
the ring still other relationships exist that every
type is related to several others at the same time.
In such cases the difficulties of accurate cassif-
cation according to the natural system are seen at
once. The natural system resembles book with a