Geolo 



9/1839. 231 



As if this question had been destined to be settled at this time, 

 the only remaining doubt with regard to the possible existence of 

 double fangs in the teeth of a saurian was removed by the arrival 

 in London of Dr. Harlan with his " Basilosaurus." That gentle- 

 man, with great liberality and candor, allowed sections of the fos- 

 sil to be made in such a manner as to expose the structure of the 

 teeth. And these being examined by Mr. Owen, and compared 

 with the general laws of dental structure which he has latley 

 discovered, it appeared that Dr. Harlan's fossil was by no means 

 a saurian, but an animal nearly allied to the Dugong, to which 



name 



pressing the conjoined form of its teeth. 



I have not hesitated to lay before you the view of this subject 

 to which I have been led by the discussions in which we have 

 been engaged, notwithstanding the very great authorities which 

 incline to the other side of the balance. Among these I hardly 

 know whether I am to reckon Mr. Ogilby, who laid before us a 

 very instructive communication, in which, without deciding the 

 point, he pointed out the difficulties which appear to him to em- 

 barrass both views, and especially to contradict the opinion of the 

 marsupial nature of the animal. 



I have dwelt the longer on this controversy, since it involves 

 considerations of the most comprehensive interest to geologists, 

 and, we may add^ of the most vital importance. For — de suinma 

 reipubliccL agitur — the battle was concerning the foimdations of 

 our philosophical constitution; concerning the validity of the 

 great Cuverian maxim — that from the frai^ment of a bone we can 



reconstruct the skeleton of the animal. This doctrine of final 

 causes in animal structures, as it is the guiding principle of the 

 zoologist's reasonings, is the basis of the geologist^s views of the 

 organic history of the world; and, that destroyed, one half of his 

 edifice crumbles into dust. If we cannot reason from the analo- 

 gies of the existing, to the events of the past world, we have no 

 foundation for our science ; and you, Gentlemen, have all along 



been applying your vigorous talents, your persevering toil, your 

 ardent aspirations, idly and in vain. 



Besides the important investigations thus referred to, we owe 

 to Mr. Owen other pateontological contributions. The genus 

 ChcBropoiamuSj established by Cuvier from an imj^erfect fragment 



of the bone of a skull, was asserted by him to be a Pachvderm 



