New-York tribune., 1879-08-29

tbua deposted were found in succession,
the lowest of the series being the oldest;
that distinct succession OF animals ana
plants had inhabited the earth during the different
geological periods and that the order of succession
found in one part of the earth was essentially the
same in al. More than 10000 new species OF ex-
tinct animals and plants had now becn described.
1t had been found too, that from the oldest forna-
tons to the most recent there had been an advance
in the grade of life both animal and vegetable, the
oldest forms being among the simplest, and the
higher forms succesSlyely making their appearance
II had now become clearly evident, moreover,
that the fossils from the older formations were all
extinct species and that only in the most recent de-
posits were there remains Of forms stll llying Inc
equally important fact had been established, that
IN several groups of both animals and plants, the
extinct forms were vastly more numerous than the
living while several orders OF fossil animals hdu no
REPRESENTATIVES i'm modern times. Human remains
had been found mingled with those ot e1tlnct
ANNALS. but the association was IcgaIueu hS
science; and the very recent appearance
OF Man on the earth not seriously questioned.
Another important concluslcn reached maihI4
through the abOrs OF Lyell, was that the cafth had
not been subjected IN the past to sudden ana Vlo-
lent revolutions butt the changes wrought had been
gradual differing IN no respect rom tnose ssit ; ~
propositions that Life too. had been continuous on
the earth formed at that date no part OF the COM
In the physical world. the great law of ' Correla-
ton of forces had been announced, and widely
accepted but in tho organic world, the dogma OF
the miraculous creation OF eac' arate species
still held sway almost AS c0mplet, L. .l- vhen Lin
uDus declared " There many di.4-l ~ hpe-
cles as there were different forms created III tAc no
ginning by the Infinite Being" But the dawn OF
new era was already breaking. and the IL I'd period
of Pai8Ontoiogy We may consider no" az an ghd;
noint when the belief in Especial creations was
undermined b. welI-estabished facts, slowly aecu-
mulated. The time was nDe' Many latutatsd' aL I.
were working at the problem, convinced that fvo-
luton was the key 10 the present ana the past But
how mad Nature brought this change Gboutf While
others pOndeTed Darwin spoke the magic word
Natural Selection and new epoch In science
began.
The fourth period in the history of Palaontology
dates from this time, and is the period of to-day.
One Of Cho main characteristics OF this epoch Is the
belief that all life LIVING and extinct, has been
evolved from simple forms. Another prominent fea-
the accepted fact of the great antiquity of the
human race. These are quite sufficient TO dstln-
gush this period sharply from those that preceded
The publication Of Charles DarHin's work ting
"OrigIn OF. Species" November, 1859, at once
aroused attention, and started feyolunOn winch
has already, in the short space of two decades,
changed the whole course of scientific thought. lhe
theory OF Natural Selection" or, as spencer has
happily termed IT, the " Survival OF the rlttest,
had been WOrked out Independently by Wallace,
who justly shares the honor OF the discovery we
have seen that the theory OF Evolution was pro-
posed and advocated by Lamarck, but he was be
fore his time. The anonymous author of the - Yes
tiges of Creation" when appeared IN 1914, adyO-
Gated a somewhat similar theory which attracted
much attention, but the belief that species were
immuabl. was not sensIbly affected until Darwln's
Work appeared
The difference between Lamarck and Darwin is
essentially this: Lamarck proposed the theory OF
Evolution; Darwin changed this into doctrine,
which is now guiding the investigations IN all de-
partments of biology. Lamarck failed to realize
the importance of time, and the nteraction OF lie
on lite. Darwin, by combining these Influences
with those also suggested by Lamarck, has shown
how the existing forms on she earth may have been
derived from those OF the past.
This revolution has influenced PalgOntOlOgy as
extensively any other department of science and
hence the new period We are discussing In the
last epoch. species represented independently,
by parallel lines; in the present PERIOD they are iu-
dicated by dependent, branching lines. The for
mer was the analytic the latter the synthetic, pc
Rod. To-day, the animals and plants now living
believed to be genetcally connected with those
OF the distant past and the paleontoIOglst no
longer deems species of the first Importance, but
seeks for relationships and genealOgles, connecting
the distant past with the present Working IN TINS
spirit and wl. q such method, the advance during
the last decade has been great and Is an earnest Oh
what Is yet TO come.
PAIlEoNToLoGY IN AMERICA.
OF the progress OF PalaontOlogy in America,
| have thus far said nothing, and 1 need now
say but little, many OF you are doubtless
familiar with its main features. During the first
and second periods in the history of Paleontology,
as have defined them, America, for most excellent
reasons took part. In the present century, dur
ing the third period. appear the names of Bigsby,
Green, Morton, Mitchell, Rafnesque, Say and
Troost all of whom deserve mention. More re-
Gently, the researches of Conrad, Dana, Dcane,
DeKay Emmons, Gibbes, Hitchcock, Holmes, Lea.
Owen, Redfeld Rogers, Shumard, Swallow, and
many Others, have enlarged our knowledge Of the
fossils of this country.
The contributions of James Hall to the Inverte-
brate Paleontology of this country form the basis
lyuo,y yiebn no nf he he
tensive labors of Meek in the department are
likewise entitled 10 great credit, and will form an
important chapter in the history of the science.
The memoirs Of Billings, Gabb, Scudder, White and
Whitfield are numerous and important; and the
publications of Derby Hartt, James, Miller, Shaler,
Rathburn, and Winchell, are also of value To
Dawson. Lesquereux, and Newberry, mainly
owe our present knowledge Of the fossil plants OF
this country
The foundation of our Vertebrate Pa@OntooFy
was laid by Leldy, whose contributions have en-
riched nearly every department of the subject.
The numerous publications of Cope are well known.
Agassiz Allen, Baird, Dawson, Deane, DE Kay, En-
mons, Gibbes. Harlan, Hitchcock, Jefferson Lea,
lie Conte, Newberry, Redfeld. st. john Warren,
Whitney, WOrthen. Wyman, and others, have all
added to our knowledge of American fossil veTte-
brates The chief results in tins department of our
SUBJECT have already laid before YOU q pre-
yIous OCCASION ard hence need not dwell upon them
here.
In this rapid sketch of the history of PalRon-
toogv, / have thought it best to speak Of the
earlier periods in detail, they less gen
orally known. and especially they indicate the
growth Of the science. and the obstacles 1t had to
surmount. With the present work in PalaOntology.
moreover you are all or less familiar. as the
results are now part Of the current literature To
assign every important discovery to its author,
r.n.,IL In un heNnnl my nresnnt nlan. l