The New York herald., 1876-09-21
PROFESSOR HUXLEY.
ORA wing the First Parallel
in the Siege.
THE EVOLUTION THEORY.
An intermediate Link Between the Crocodile
and the Bird

celebrated English naturalist, Professor Huxley,
composed of much tho same elements that which
greeted him Monday evening in chickering Hall.
There seems to be for modifying the appre
cation Of tho lecturer given IN Tuesdays HERALD.
1t should however, be stated that the of
night there were no points to make like the
Milton which evoked much applause
the nrst night. Mr. Huxley is evidently very
much in earnes. with his subject; and
indeed II requires such to rivet the attention OF
a mixed audience for an hour and halr n subject
the details OF which Of such deterrent dryncss
those dwelt upon by the eminent lecturer last night
1t was clear long before the end OF tho lecture that
very large proportion OF the audience had
had enough OF the subject for night,
and one could not help being struck by tho
thought that II what is called nfdety is only TO be
dental TO the demonstration OF the theory OF evoiution
reli gion iur as the vast body OF mankind 10 con-
cerned, runs no danger whatever Mankind in gen.
era does not need to be warned OF the functional
disorders which would follow tho swallowing OF q
bushcl of brick dust; they Will not swallow IT,
THE LECTURE.
Professor Huxley preaced tho lecture OF last night
by recapuation of the hypothesis saug In the
previous one and SAID that from the outset of the dis
cussions touching the animal and vegetable world
there was an argument in regard TO evolution which
would havc TO be considered twas, probably first
mems OF ANIMALS which brought back
to France after the celebrated expedition TO
1900 or 600 years old. Cuver sought in these speci
mems for foundation Tor the belief in the gradual
anu Pros. ~ .he an'"a's iouhu oy oon-
pairing them with those now living, and having con-
cuded that there was appreciablc change In then
he also concluded against the theory of evolution.
But researches since the time OF Cuvcr had supplied
much more remarkable specimens than those exam
ined by him, and no country had supplied them IN
greater number or perfection than America herself
The lecturer inslanced the superficial deposits IN tho
vicinity Of the Falls OF Niagara and Goat Island.
These the remains Of animals and shell fish the
identical with those inhabtin2 today the still waters
Of Lake Erie, and they were deposited at time when
the OF the lake covered the upon which they
now iound According to tho most reliable calcu
latons It has taken Niagara 80 00O to eat its way
back miles and have conclude that that vast
period Of time essential change has taken place in The
animals found when compared with those of the pres.
day In the tertiary strata hnd animals 10 all
intcns and purposes identical those OF the pres
ent day Tho same Is substantially true Of the iauha
OF the cretaceous period The pobcgeaua OF the Eng
lish chalk adduccd IN proof Of this What is said
here OF simple species may equally bc said OF genera
only that vas!er period must be allotted to these
forms The bericus Is represented by very
closely allied species found to-day in the Pacific and
Atlantic oceans
COAL CONTAINS SCORPIONS
hardly distngushable from those OF the present day
q fact which astound,ng when We consider the
ness OF the period which must have elapsed since
those found in coal lived. Al the bottom OF the ST.
lurlan period we find molusca nearly allied to
forms that they have been generally categorlzcd
with the latter as tuigAid, Lnd these may to-day be
found on tho shores o Australia
II these facts were the only ones which existed they
OF the intrinsic necessity Of modification in animal
forms. But It is here that Darwin steps in and does
factors IN evolutiondrs the tendency TO vary in oil
living form; second, the influence OF surrounding
conditions upon the parent form and It's variations
Professor Huxley here stated that the production OF
varied forms not well understood and laid down
clearly the results which would follow the pa-
rent type was weaker than the variations OF ~ rice
He then proceeded to say that the persistent
types which are found stretching almost in
credible periods me are no obstacle to theory
the period and The lizards Of the Pcrman
period were adduced as being hardly different IRON
those existing today II our series Of sraned rocks
represented all the animals, &c, which have
ised in the carth the theory OF evolution would by
the board but the geological record Is incomplete and
II Is not only possible but highly probable that all
Of many species which have existed the
strata have been obserated by the action OF
and heat
THE VALLEY OF TIE CONNECTICUT
was brought forward giving the most striking
ample oil the mperfecton OF the geological record Of
the stiatited rocks. In the sandstone there which
lad evidently formed the lake or shore there
are 10 be found the impressions OF the loot OF
gigantic bipcd stride OF which measures six feet
nine inches. or these there untold thousands IN
the sandstone, and yet up to the present time not
TOOTH u bone a fragment OF the animal itself
has been found. The bones themselves have probably
been dissolved out OF the sandstone The lecturer
stated that If theory evolution be true It
must OF necessity follow that plants and animals, how
ever diverse to-day, must all have been connected by
gradational forms This IL necessary posulato OF
tho doctrine of evolution
When We look upon animated nature tho various
which therc immense gaps-ror instance, nam.
mails birds and reptiles. AT present they perfectly
diatc link between tho mammal and bird, the mammal
aud reptile, or the bird aud reptile familiar illus.
traton would be the pig and tho ruminant.
So between the crocodile, the lizard and tho snake
there was to-day no intermediate form II this had
always been tho 1t would be fatal to tho theory OF
evolution but II the contrary bc proved it will, In 80
far the proof extends be favorable to the theory OF
evolution. Mr. Huxley said that It was remarkable
that from Cuvcr's time psleontoiogy should
II
should havo undertaken 10 show and act
uaiy had succeeded in showing that there was an
intermediate between the pig aud tho ruminant
All subsequent efforts have tended in this direction,
and had manly tended TO I'LL up the gaps In
OF mammals. The case OF birds and reptiles in-
stanced boing one IN which the line drawn
clearly that II did not secm possible for m inter.
mediate to exist But In the last few such birds
have been found their construction approach tho
reptile In sinking degree. Msrshs researches have
pcrornis RECALLS having set of teeth Such dscov
cry at once obiges US to, modify our definitions OF
birds and reptiles. The same rocks have yielded
ANOTHER WITH TEETH
in distinct sockets whose vertebrD are concave at
each end and which Is therefore not far removed
from the reptiles From the tertiary to the middle OF
the urassc period thore is not bird to be found and
yet IN tho latter we nnd actually fossil feather aud
yot no other trace OF the bird Later on u solitary
out the head; the vcrtebrnl column was un-
likc that OF any other known bird, and tho
bones OF the wing approxmatcd more 10 tho
anatomical construction oi the reptile Here the Pro-
lessor entered minute detail INTO tho technical di
iercnces between those bones and the bones Of the bird
and claimed that this specimen rejoicing In tho name
OF compsognahus spccabIs, approached the reptiles
very closely some particulars lie added that itw
possible to II up tho gap between the bird and the
reptile in much more remarkable manner.
but not bv odducng the pterodactylus Ho
preferred to look to the mcs0terc rocks, where the
dinosaur would be found which was clearly IN
important points intermediate between the bird and
the crocodile This point was minutely developed and
thoroughly argued out The vaiuo Of tho evidence
brought forward partly neutral and partly avora-
bio 10 the theory OF evolution was next dwclt upon,
IN
theory.