GLIMPSES OF LIFE ALONG A CORAL REEF. 



315 



nay, cei'tain, that man has inhabited the earth far longer than we had 

 previously supposed we had warrant for believing. The fear of con- 

 troversy on this question has indeed not yet entirely subsided. Some 

 timid people still look askance at this wolf, but I think all intelligent 

 people accept it and find it harmless. 



Next, and last, it comes now in the form of evolution — of the origin 

 of all things, even of organic forms, by derivation — of creation by law. 

 We are even now in the midst of the terror created by this doctrine. 

 But what is evolution but law throughout infinite time ? The same 

 law which now controls the development of an egg has presided over 

 the creation of worlds. Infinite space and the universal law of gravi- 

 tation ; infinite time and the universal law of evolution. These two 

 are the grandest ideas in the realm of thought. The one is universal 

 sustentation, the other universal creation, by law. There is one law 

 and one energy pervading all space and stretching through all time. 

 Our religious philosophy has long ago accepted the one, but has not 

 yet had time to readjust itself completely to the other. A few more 

 years, and Christians will not only accept, but love and cherish this also 

 for the noble conceptions it gives of Nature and of God. 



But some will exclaim, " Noble conceptions of God, say you ! 

 Why, it utterly obliterates the idea of God from the mind. All other 

 conflicts were for outworks — this strikes at the citadel. All others re- 

 quired only readjustment of claims, rectification of boundaries betwixt 

 science and religion — this requires nothing less than unconditional sur- 

 render. Evolution is absolute materialism, and materialism is incom- 

 patible with belief in God, and therefore with religion of any kind 

 whatsoever ! " Before proceeding any further, it becomes necessary 

 to remove this difficulty out of the way. 



GLIMPSES OF LIFE ALONG A COEAL REEF. 



Bt F. H. HEKEICK. 



LAST summer (1886) I spent the month of June, with a party of 

 naturalists from Johns Hopkins University, on Green Turtle Key, 

 a small coral island near Abaco, Bahama, where we were engaged in 

 the study of marine invertebrate life. In order to learn more of the 

 general flora and fauna of the reef, I visited many of its rocks and 

 keys which stretch in a long, bi'oken chain northeastward of Abaco 

 and the submerged banks connected with it. My friend who accom- 

 panied me was especially interested in birds, and was anxious to ob- 

 tain specimens of the eggs and skins of the sea-fowl which breed in 

 great numbers on these remote islands. 



Abaco Island is roughly crescent-shaped (as shown by the accom- 

 panying map), its two horns pointing about northwest and south. 



