17 



220 species. The Carnivora, including tlie Insectivora, about 420 

 species. The lowly organized Rodentia, about 620 species ; thus 

 shewing a gradual decrease in species in an increased ratio to 

 higher development. 



With regard to the lowly organized creatures being more 

 numerous in specimens. 



All who use microscopes will probably agree with me that an 

 ordinary stagnant pond would probably contain more animalculfe 

 than all the specimens of warm blooded Vertebrates existing in 

 the Avorld put together. 



It is a fact also that these small creatures were equally 

 numerous at very early geological periods. 



Ehrenberg calculated that a cubic inch of the Bilin polishing 

 slate contained the skeletons of forty-one thousand millions of 

 fossil animalcules. 



Now it appears to me that all the facts I have brought together 

 are such as a priori might have been expected to be the case on 

 the hypothesis of evolution ; it would have been only reason- 

 able to predict that the more highly developed creatures would 

 require the longest time for their development individually, and 

 also that they would in the process of development attain to the 

 largest bulk; this I have shewn to be the case, and further, as 

 development has taken place very slowly, the higher the orga- 

 nization the fewer both species and specimens. 



It further appears that the highly organized creatures are very 

 sensitive to external influences, and therefore numbers of species 

 have become extinct, whilst on the other hand many of the lower 

 forms have remained to the present day almost unchanged from 

 those existing in very early geological periods. 



Man at the present day is the commonest of all the warm-blooded 

 Vertebrates, and there is every probability of his continuing so. 



The time cannot be far distant when the noxious and most of 

 the wild animals will be exterminated, and the domesticated races 

 will occupy their feeding grounds. 



Thus we may with confidence look forward to the time when 

 mind shall completely dominate over matter, and a very com- 

 forting confidence it is,' as it teaches us that what man has to do 

 is to develope the latent forces of nature in accordance with his 

 needs, and not look forward with gloomy forebodings to the 

 failure of the supply of any valuable product of the eai'th, however 

 necessary it may appear to be. 



B 



