ANCIENT LIFE ON THE EAETH 11 



variations from one generation to another. And in 

 psychological evolution inind is transmitted from 

 parent to offspring, as well as the organ in which it 

 is to be manifested. Intelligence, however, depends 

 not only on the structure of this organ, but on early 

 associations and education ; by which means the 

 wisdom of one generation is handed down to the 

 next. 



We turn to the Science of Geology to learn what is 

 known about former life on the earth, and we get 

 some most interesting information , notwithstanding 

 the imperfect state of the palseontological record. 



When palaeontologists began to study fossils they 

 naturally commenced with the younger formations 

 and worked downwards. From the time of Cuvier 

 and Brongniart in France, and William Smith in 

 England, the palaeontology of the Cainozoic, Meso- 

 zoic and newer Palaeozoic rocks made rapid progress ; 

 and in 1833 Murchison and Sedgwick began to 

 unravel the older Palaeozoic of Wales. The fossils 

 were described by several paleontologists in Britain, 

 in Europe, and in North America, until a fairly rich 

 fauna was known down to the base of the Cambrian. 

 Here fossils suddenly stopped ; but so rich in species 

 was the Cambrian fauna that it was predicted that 

 sooner or later fossils would be found in pre- 

 Cambrian rocks ; and this prediction which was 

 based on the theory of organic evolution has been 

 verified within the last few years. 



The first attempt at verification ended in disap- 

 pointment. In 1865 Sir W. Logan and Sir J. W. 

 Dawson announced that a gigantic foraminifer, 



