8 
circumstances, and even control them, yet as often as not man fails 
to use that power and sinks in consequence, the prey of circum- 
stances. 
There is hardly a phase in human society that has not its 
counterpart in the social economy of the animal world, and it 
would form by no means an uninteresting subject if ove of our 
members would take up these analogies and work them out. It is 
always easier, and perhaps pleasanter, to trace out the faults of 
others than to detect them in ourselves; so let us turn our atten- 
sion to the question of degradation among other forms of life. 
It is often taken for granted by those who dabble in Darwinism, 
that development is always in an upward direction. A very slight 
acquaintance with the ordinary facts of Nature would serve to dis- 
sipate this delusion. It has even been said that it is highly 
improbable that man, or any set of men, should lose any art of 
civilization when once the value of it is known; and that it is not 
likely that any structure of advantage to an animal should ever 
disappear. There is no improbability in either case; it has fre- 
quently happened. In the working out of the close relations which 
connect the animal creation with its immediate surroundings, there 
are (as a great authority would say) three courses open, either of | 
which may be adopted. There may be an upward development 
(such as has taken place in European nations generally); there 
may be a standing still, a state of balance (illustrated by the 
Chinese) ; or there may be degeneration (as with the Egyptians 
and Turks). With man it almost wholly depends upon himself 
as to which of these shall be his fate; but we cannot say the same 
of the lower animals, which are, so much more than ourselves, the 
creatures of cirenmstances. We are to confine our attention this 
evening to the last condition only, and it will perhaps be as well, 
before proceeding further, to ask the question—What is degener- 
ation? When are.we justified in regarding an animal as having 
fallen from its high estate? What are the outward and visible 
signs? Is an animal which passes its life rooted down in one 
place, (e.g. a sponge) necessarily a degraded form? Are parasites 
all or any of them, degenerated animals? How are we to know? 
We can only tell by ascertaining, as far as possible, what each 
particular species was intended to be, and whether it has fulfilled 
‘its destiny. This is treading, I know, on delicate ground, per- 
haps questioning design, implying possible failure; but here it is 
for discussion. How can we tell what any particular form was 
intended to be? We may do so, I think by finding out, so far as 
we can, from its early stages and the general character of its 
confreres, what it might have been. We regard a man as 
degraded when we know from his early circumstances that he could 
