Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-09-27
MEMPHIS TENN. WEDNESDAY EVENING. SEPTEMBER 81 1876

formation there are horses in
abundance in the cave deposits,
whose structure we are able to get
at with the greatest accuracy, and
which are in all respects like the
horses Of the present day. But in
the middle and earlier periods of
the pliocene formation we find ami
mails which are horses in all other
astrological particulars except that
they differ from the horses of to-
day in the structure of the fore and
hind limbs; they have a bone as
long as the middle metacarpal bone.
and at the end a small toe, but of
little functional importance. In
the miocene formations Of Central
Germany, France and Greece we
find the species equus differing still
further from the horse of to-day in
the fore and hind limbs. They
have three complete toes, the lateral
toes being large and long enough
to rest upon the ground. In the
forearm we find the ulua distin-
guishable from the radius; in the
hind limb we also discover func-
tional toes. Various other modifi-
cations, the most remarkable of
which we're the teeth, were dilated
upon at considerable length by the
lecturer, who said, in conclusion
upon this point, that although we
cannot be certain that we have the
exact line or the order in which
these notifications occur, we GER
tainly have three forms, of which
the Oldest came nearer to the man.
NAL type than the others. Having
laid down and established these
premises, Professor Huxley inquired
what alternative was open unless we
admitted that the changes observ-
able were the result of evolution.
Clearly we should have to say that
each species was separately and in
diyidually created; for which as
sumption there is not the shadow
Of a scientific ground.
Other links were, however, neces.
sary to complete the chain of eyi.
dence for evolution in the case O
the horse, and these came from a
most unexpected quarter, from the
very country whose discoyereri
supposed had never had any
horses, and whose inhabitants
looked upon a man on horseback al
a kind of miraculous monster
namely, from America. Of late
years the marvellous tertiary de-
posits of the west of America had
supplied fossils SO numerous and il
such a perfect state Of preservation
that they left nothing wanting, and
the field itself had been worked by
Professor Marsh, of New Haven,
in most Incompatible fashion, SO
that nothing too much could be
said Of the care taken by him, the
extent of the discoveries he had
made or their scientific Importance,
Here Professor Huxley took singly
the various specimens of the
miohippus and mesohippus discov-
cred by Professor Marsh, showing
the variations in the bones and
teeth, and the clearly defined four
toes and fingers to be found respec.
lively upon the hind and fore legs
Tof these ancestors of the recent
equus. He concluded that un.
doubtedly we should find the five
toes and five fingers if we could
only get at the strata in which they
exist, probably the early Eocene.
A short commentary upon the
value of the evidence of evolution
then offered followed, Mr.. Huxley
stating that it was as sound as the
theory of the Copernican system,
and that if such inductiye reason
ing was not conclusive, no induc-
tive process of argument whatever
was Of any account. A delicate
sarcasm was flung at those who ex-
planned away the presence of these
awkward fossil remains by saying
they had specially been placed
where they were to test our faith.
A short but pointed tribute to the
kindness of the people Of the Uni
ted States to him during his stay in
this country, to the energy and en-
terprise of the press and to the
audience whose courteous attention
during so much dry but necessary
detail had struck him more than
anything else, closed the lecture,
which, at its end, evoked loud APP
plause.
Professor Huxley sails for Eu-
rope tomorrow.
1t was on BQylston street. A