40 MORPHOLOGY AND 



the separate bones which compose the casket holding 

 man's brain. These 1 facts differ but slightly from 

 those of last section, if with wing, paddle, hand and 

 hoof, some common structure was yet visible, or 

 could be made out by a series of occasional mon- 

 strous conversions, and if traces could be discovered 

 of (the) whole having once existed as walking or 

 swimming instruments, these organs would be said 

 to be metamorphosed, as it is they are only said to 

 exhibit a common type. 



This distinction is not drawn by physiologists, and 

 is only implied by some by their general manner of 

 writing. These facts, though affecting every organic 

 being on the face of the globe, which has existed, or 

 does exist, can only be viewed by the Creationist as 

 ultimate and inexplicable facts. But this unity of 

 type through the individuals of a group, and this 

 metamorphosis of the same organ into other organs, 

 adapted to diverse use, necessarily follows on the 

 theory of descent 2 . For let us take case of 

 Vertebrata, which if 3 they descended from one 

 parent and by this theory all the Vertebrata have 

 been altered by slow degrees, such as we see in 

 domestic animals. We know that proportions alter, 

 and even that occasionally numbers of vertebrae 

 alter, that parts become soldered, that parts are 

 lost, as tail and toes, but we know (that ?} here we 

 can see that possibly a walking organ might (?) be 

 converted into swimming or into a gliding organ 

 and so on to a flying organ. But such gradual 

 changes would not alter the unity of type in their 

 descendants, as parts lost and soldered and vertebrae. 



1 The following passage seems to have been meant to precede the 

 sentence beginning " These facts " : " It is evident, that when in each 

 individual species, organs are metamorph. a unity of type extends." 



2 This is, I believe, the first place in which the author uses the words 

 " theory of descent." 



3 The sentence should probably run, "Let us take the case of the verte- 

 brata : if we assume them to be descended from one parent, then by this 

 theory they have been altered &c." 



