Year: 1876

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bird and the crocodile did not oc-
cur in the order in which they would
be required for a demonstration.
Evidence of this kind to be per-
feetly demonstratiye would require
that in some ancient formations
reptiles alone should be found, in
recent reformatons the bird alone,
and in intervening geological for
nations the intermediate forms
between the crocodile and the bird.
The proof of evolution, said the
Professor, could never be complete
without evidence of this nature.
Fortunately for the cause Of science
this had, of late years, been sup
piled in considerable quantity, and
not only in the case of one single
species, but in that of all divisions
Of the animal kingdom. AS above
stated, Professor Huxley from the
abundance of the material at his
command, chose the species equus,
as being that which supplied in it.
self the most complete chain of
demonstrative evidence in favor of
the theory of evolution. The
term cquus was understood by
Professor Huxley to comprise all
the different subdivisions, such as
the zebra, the ass, etc. Due honor
was done to the remarkable beauty
and perfect machinery of the horse.
of which the lecturer stated that
there was no locomotive so well
adapted to its purposes, none in
which there was so great an econ
omy Of fuel, no creature in which
there was so perfect balance of the
parts and so much rhythm and
harmony Of motion. The horse is
provided with the most perfect for
nation of bone, muscle, feeding
and digestive apparatus. The last
portion of this assertion would
meet with the unqualified assent Of
those who have to supply that in
teresting quadruped with hay at
twenty-five dollars a ton.


The learned lecturer then apollo
gized to the audience for the neces.
Sity which constrained him toindict
upon them the numerous anatomi.
cal details upon which the whole
argument Of his lecture would be
based. He then produced the skel-
eton fore leg of a horse and enume-
rated the various bones of which il
was composed, pointing out at the
same time the bones of the arm to
which they corresponded, down to
the hoof, which corresponded to
the human nail. At this point the
Professor entered into lengthy de-
tails, showing from the minute ex-
animation of the leg Of the horse
that although a superficial view
would induce one to believe the
contrary, still even in the recent
equus it was possible to trace the
rudimentary nail, what correspond
ed to the middle finger of the hand,
the wrist, the radius and ulna and
the humerus. Further, that a still
closer examination showed a forma-
ton corresponding to the metacar-
pal bone, and another answering to
the second finger of the human
hand. The same analogical SINH
larity between it and the human
leg, even to the toes, was elected


Next in order were treated the ap-
paratus for supplying this perfect
locomotive las the Professor de-
lighted to call the horse) with fuel


He has, or ought to have, forty
teeth, the mare thirty-six. The
number of canine teeth, incisors
and molars were stated. The Gark
patch in the teeth, by which the
age of a horse is told, was explained
to arise from a cavity first filled
with fodder, then with Secretions
and the triturated substance Of the
tooth itself, which finally hardened
and disappeared when the point Of
the tooth was reached at which the
cavity ceased. The description Of
the molar teeth was next in order,
and it was shown how in their con-
formation they resembled the lam


ination of millstones and preserved
their roughness by the very fact Of
their crushing against one another,
and were admirably adapted for the
rapid mastication of oats and hay,
as most owners Of horses know.


Now, observed the lecturer, il
the theory Of evolution be cor
rect, what ought to be found
in the investigation of the history
of this animal ? He ought to have
proceeded by evolution from a sim
pie form through all intermediate
gradations up to the type as we have
it to-day. For the purpose Of his
argument it was necessary for Prof
Huxley to enumerate all the dis
tinctiye features of the mammal,
which are no doubt perfectly fa-
miliar to all interested in the dis
cussion of even elementary ques-
tions of this character, and which
need not therefore be repeated
here. Especial stress was, however
laid by him upon the complete
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