PALAEONTOLOGY SINCE CCVIER. 45 



been accomplished step by step. Thus we very 

 often, and justly, hear of generalised and specialised 

 animal forms, which show their characteristic and 

 contrasting peculiarities chiefly in those organs, the 

 extremities and the dentition. These differences 

 were perceived even by the earlier observers, and 

 were compared with the embryonal conditions, with 

 the development from the general state of the early 

 indications through all the details of the ripening 

 offspring. The significance of this point must be 

 borne in mind when we term the geological and 

 earlier forms as general and embryonal forms, and 

 the later ones as the specialised forms. 



THE EXTENSION OF PAL^ONTOLOGICAL SCIENCE 



SINCE CUVIER. 



The fact that the theory of descent appears less 

 prominent during the first half of our century, and 

 is so frequently and justly connected with Cuvier's 

 opposition to it, makes it necessary for us to allude 

 to his position in regard to this great question. 

 Cuvier's almost autodidactic manner of working 

 and viewing things comprised, as is well known, 

 the whole animal kingdom, with the exception of 

 some groups of microscopic and other lower ani- 

 mals. But he was a specialist, above all things, in 



6 



