, 1877-10-20

DuSnCu venice mo lHc SEA, NnO tne
ancient hrizOnian to the crest %! the
mountains. Struggle tor life pushed the
willow to th,: waters edge, and the knot
grass to the dooryard.
THE RESULT OF THIS STRUGGLE.
What will come of all this pushing
and strugglingl Pam is placed at the
portals o. life. This apparent evil may
be the travail in which species ure born.
The spea ker said that wilhina few Years
change OF surroundings had wrought
changes in the torn and structure OF
species. He iustanced the case OF the
radsh, which, in New England, IS an an
nual, hut in California is perennial !;
and the mustard seed, which in Calitor-
MA, grows into bush.
THE EVOLUTION OF SPECIES.
Passing into the geological record, the
lecturer showed now the two factors
the changing aspects OF inorganic nature
and the struggle for liie-had evolved
one species from another. Imagine our
selves as looking forward rom stand
lar back in the globe's youth, We see this
great land, which will wait millions ot
years to be called New Mexico and Ari-
IONA and California and Oregon. 1t is
warm, low, teatureless. The eocrne rocks
OF New Mexico have yielded the remains
of its life. The speaker drew picture
of one Of its first animnls--one of the
first warm blouded animals that appear
ed on the globe. Its foot was panti-
gra'e; its gait was slow and awkward; /;
its teeth were tuberculate on the crown.
1t was an average or generslIzed animal.
Science has called it Bathmadon." TAX
ing his point OF view from BaihmGdon,
the lecturer described the changes time
was bringing to the laud and mir, and
the changes it was bringing through
struggle tor lite and change ofsurround-
ings, to Bathmadon. He drew olt one
series leading TO the order Of the OK !;
another to the order OF the tiger, anoth :
er to the order Of the monkey, and still
another to the order of the horse. BY
means of the remains ofthe different AN
imal found in the rocks of Calito MIA
he traced the different species Of the
Bathnadon down to the several great
families OF animals of the present day.
Cuyier, he said had asked, thiriy-iour
years ago, to be shown one link which
connected the horse Of 10 day with the
Bathmadon. The rocks of the Pacific
coast, he said, had furnislie, twenty two
of these connecting links. The conrse
of creation as recorded IN these rocks
has been from the lower to thu higher
from the general to the special.
EVOLUTION NOT ALWAYS PROGRESSION.
In this onifow, however, there has l,een,
here and there, an eddy whirling spe-
cies backward. The lecturer sketched
and described a littla crab.like animal.
At certain stage Of its growth this lit
tie animal is sitzed with an impulse
worse than murder--an impulse Ut para
si,isln. 1t begins to operate on its kind
red, Pouncing on the soldier crab, It
plants its Jaws in its flesh and begins to
suck. II sucks and sucks, and as it can
suck without legs or brains. 1t soon loses
those organs. Then US it can suck with.
out eyes, it loses its eyes also. II finally
becomes too lazy to eat. Nature takes
it at its word, closes Its mouth, and de.
velopes bundle of roots, which strike
into the body OF the host and absorb nu-
triment like root of a plant. The speak.
er also showed how certain winged in
sects, & owing lazy, and preterring their
legs to their wings, have been debased
into disgusting parasites.
NATURES PROMISE TO MAN.
What fearful gospel Of retnbution is
this, which science thuders into the ears
OF men! Nature says to man: {" Face
life bravely, and l will help you; shirk,
and | will iurt you; aspire, and | will
lift you up; grovel, and will push you
down. Say TO the beast within you.
Down. and l will plume for etherea
blue the angel say to the angel that is
in You fold your wings, lie still, and let
me tced the beast ana will qucnCh the