132 Bibliographical Notice. 



calculation of the beaks, the internal ligament, and the denti- 

 tion. I arn not, however, surprised at the difficulty of distin- 

 guishing these tiny objects without a patient comparison with 

 others of a similar kind. 



If Mr. Clark has found the Lepton sulcatulum at Exmouth 

 (which does not clearly appear from his last paper), the new 

 locality should be noted. 



I am, Gentlemen, 



25 Devonshire Place, London, Youi ; s faithfully, 



January 20, 1860. J . GWYN JEFFREYS. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. 



On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection ; or, the 

 Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. By 

 CHARLES DARWIN, M.A., F.R.S., F.G.S., &c. London, 1859. 



To endeavour to understand the various " beginnings " of the organic 

 world is so essentially the part of an inductive, inquiring mind, like 

 that of the distinguished naturalist who has lately given us the re- 

 markable volume bearing the above title, that no amount of failure 

 in the attempt to do so can check the inherent desire that we possess 

 to renew our eiforts, again and again, to discover them. Yet, in 

 spite of this, no trains of reasoning have ever yet brought us, and 

 none with which we are acquainted, we may safely add, ever can bring 

 us, to the absolute origin of the present order of things, and unfold 

 to us (what perhaps it was never intended that we should know) the 

 mysteries of creation. " We cannot in any of the palaeontological 

 sciences," says Dr. Whewell, " ascend to a beginning which is of the 

 same nature as the existing cause of events, and which depends upon 

 causes that are still in operation. Philosophers never have demon- 

 strated, and probably never will be able to demonstrate, what was 

 the original condition of the solar system, of the earth, of the vege- 

 table and animal worlds, of languages, of arts. On all these subjects 

 the course of investigation, followed backwards as far as our materials 

 allow us to pursue it, ends at last in an impenetrable gloom. We 

 strain our eyes in vain when we try, by our natural faculties, to dis- 

 cern an origin." 



When we look abroad into the world around us, we find ourselves 

 in the midst of a variety of phenomena, and an endless array of orga- 

 nic forms, all circling onwards, yet never, so far as we can see, altering 

 in aspect ; so that, from the light of mere nature alone, there seems 

 no reason why they should not go on for ever, 



" Still changing, yet unchanged, still doomed to feel 

 Endless mutation in perpetual rest." 



Neither, on the same grounds, would it appear necessary to believe 

 that they had ever commenced, did not geology inform us that there 

 was a time in the world's history when they did not exist, but were 



