Morphology. 



67 



ideal in the case of nearly all the numerous species 

 of snakes, he should have added a tiny rudiment in 

 the case of the Python and even in that case should 

 have maintained his ideal very inefficiently, inas- 

 much as only two limbs, instead of four, are repre- 

 sented ? How much more reasonable is the natura- 



"P y TH o N! . 



FIG. 8. Rudimentary or vestigial hind-limbs of Python, as exhibited 

 in the skeleton and on the external surface of the animal. Drawn from 

 nature, J nat. size (Zoological Gardens). 



listic interpretation ; for here the very irregularity of 

 their appearance in different species, which constitutes 

 rudimentary structures one of the crowning difficulties 

 to the theory of special design, furnishes the best 

 possible evidence in favour of hereditary descent ; 

 seeing that this irregularity then becomes what may 

 be termed the anticipated expression of progressive 



F 2 



