Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-12-31
Evolution,

Enron PrEss II the writer in the PRrss of the
18th inst. on the above subject had studied with
out prejudice the views held among our leading
scientists. of the present day, including Darwin,
Huxley and Hncke, instead of copying arguments
mixed mp with religion. WEIGH may be read i'll
Hugh Millet's Footprints of the CREATOR he will
undoubtedly find it harder to persuade himself of
the absurdty of holding such views.
Science has always had to ii tht against ad vanced
views held by its so-calod adherents and the Ger
man Professor confessed tha: he had written his
work in II :" kind of inspiration" Who can say
the following view of Sexual Selections pro-
pounded by Mr. Darwin IL absurd:
The males of many species of animals are
known to engage in very severe contests for the
possession of the females, these latter yielding
themselves to the victor. In such contests certain
males will inevitably have certain advantages over
the Others either in point of strength activity,
or III consequence of more offensive weapons.
There VIII therefore always be u probability that
certain males will get possession of the females III
preference to Others and thus there will he ten.
dency i'll the individuals of many species of ani.
mails to secure n preponderance of offspring from
the strongest males. The peculi ,rities which en-
able certain males TO succeed in the contests will
edteris paridrs be transmitted to their male off.
spring. and this way variations may be perpetu-
at Il. lniti '.t(,. intensified.
III the preceding cases the females believed
to be perfectly passive, and selection is natural
one, the final result depending solely upon the
natural advantages which certain males possess
over Others i'll actual combat. There are other
cases III which the selection Is truly sexual since
Its result is determined by spontaneous preference
and not by brute force alone. Among certain
species of animals the females exercise n free
choice as to the particular male with which they
VIII pair the males being passive agents i'll the
matter, except In so far as each uses may use,
his utmost exertons to secure the choice of
the females 10 fall upon him. The circumstances
supposed 10 influence and ultimately determine
the choice of the female are, of course in the main
tine present attractions of some particular male,
the female being captivated nv some beauty of
form, color, odor, voice which such male may
possess"
Geology upholds slch views, which are very
sensible and philosopnic and it hard to see how
Religion or History may affect such truths when
the approximate antiquity of the lowest neolithc
age u only 10000 years, or human period. The
neoithic race, as science testi6es. short in
stature, 5 feet inches i'll maximum, and feet 10
inches III minimum height dark-haired, black
eyed, orthoSaa.hic, oval face, cheek bones not
prominent, nd long headed,
The Asteroopis is only larger in bulk than the
Pterarris Ludeusis, which is the earlist known
fish, tine Cephalaspis Pteraspis, and Auchenaspis,
beng the eaest vertebrates, and the Port Jackson
Shark, as Acassiz tells u.s. ranges throughout Ge-
ology but the enormous Pterodactyl, half reptile
ard half bird, must not be forgotten; and of late
years the discovery OF an ancient fossil on the
st. L,wrence, named Lawrentian Canadiene and
resembling somewhat moss. does not fail to give
Geology fresh task.
1t is hard to know from the paper on evolution
what facts i'll science your correspondent seek ks for
Does he refute what science has already done for
us when not in conjunction with his religion and
uphold that the world is 6,0C0 years old. If so,
perhaps it were better for him to leave science
alone. for although science is not dametrically
opposed in any way to revelation, still it has its
undisputed points upon which it rests. Your cor
respondent asks who has microscopic " mo-
! mad, and mentions the horse, which no states is
still a horse IL hands high and forgeIs that one
specimen has been found III America in the plio-
Gene. pa feet high. If animal or vegetable sub
stance is soaked in hot cold water for some time
and exposed to the air for period of time, he will
notice with microscope, thick scum form on
the surface, consisting of innumerable molecules
till they form short staff like hlaments called
Bacteria and afterwards Vibrianes. After "a vary
ing time they become mo,ionless and dsintegrate
| into fine molecular pellice. Little spherical
bodies now appear, each of which is provided with
| u vibratle cilium with which it moves actively
along. Various experiments can be produced and
the little organisms can withstand temperature
of 300 and live. Spontaneous generation has
however always been treated very guardcdly by
Scientists.
In studying natural science il is better no doubt
to leave alone religious aspirations and hopes and
| remember that the Order No. II Bimana belongs
TO the family Manmalia. and that the sympathies,
sentiments, feelings, Internal consciousness, and
mind, and the habitudes of mind and action
thence resulting, the real and essential charac
teristcs of humanity. U.