THE ORIGIN OF THE ANIMATED TRIBES. 107 



pendent of such circumstances. There ivas dry land for many 

 ages before there were any land animals. The sea abounded 

 in invertebrate animals, while as yet fish did not exist, though 

 the conditions required for the existence of both are the same. 

 The oolitic continents, where only reptiles roamed, could have 

 equally supported mammalia, for which the atmosphere was 

 then fully fitted, even upon the admission of the carbonic acid 

 hypothesis, as the coal was by that time formed j yet mam- 

 malia came not. 1 It was supposed at the dawn of true 

 geology, that fresh creations of animals were connected with 

 great physical revolutions of the surface ; as if, at particular 

 times, all had perished in storms of volcanic violence, and 

 been replaced with a wholly new fauna. This idea is likewise 

 passing away. It is now seen that changes in specific forms 

 took place quietly in the course of time, while no volcanic 

 disturbances are traceable. 2 In short, it is always becoming 

 more and more manifest that organic progress both the 

 specific changes in classes formerly existing, and the accession 

 of new and higher classes depended, not by any means wholly 

 or immediately upon external circumstances, but in great part 

 upon time. All this looks very unlike either special working 

 or special willing on the part of the Creator, but, on the con- 

 trary, very like the simply natural procedure of things in the 

 world of our own day. 



There are some facts in the history of fossils, which it is 

 difficult to reconcile with the idea of special creative effort, but 

 which perfectly harmonize with that of a creation in a natural 

 manner. It is admitted, for instance, that " the differences 

 which exist between extinct faunas and the animals now living 

 are so much greater in proportion as these faunas are most 

 ancient." Passing downward in the formations and backward 

 in time, we first find species identical with the present ; next, 

 only genera ; afterwards, only families or orders. These are 

 the words of naturalists ; but the truth simply is, that in early 

 formations, animals resembled the present in broad general 

 characters ; afterwards they resembled them in characters more 

 particular ; finally, they become identical. Always as we ad- 

 vance, the total mass of the animal creation puts on more and 

 more of the appearances which it now bears. It may be asked 

 if this does not seem to imply that the present system of things 

 is essentially connected with the past ; in which case, if the 



1 See Proofs and Illustrations, No. 3. 



2 See Proofs and Illustrations, No. 4. 



