56 SPECIES NOT 



reptile changed into a bird, because some for- 

 tuitous variation gave it the mastery in the 

 struggle for existence. But look farther on, 

 credulous mortal, the oviparous bird has to be 

 changed, into what? Why, into the mammal, 

 with its uterine gestation, and its human form 

 at the top of the list. One now feels a strange 

 interest in the matter, birds, reptiles, fish, 

 lobsters, insects, worms, zoophytes, protozoons, 

 plants, all shade into insignificance before the 

 phase in the scene now opening out. The bird 

 has at length been converted into the duck- 

 billed platypus, or the porcupine ant-eater! Hail, 

 profound progenitor of mankind; henceforth you 

 must take your proper rank among the very 

 highest of the mammal race, .for your blood is 

 our blood, and your bone our bone. 



But unnumbered ages have passed away, for 

 all links of the next stage are lost; the "possum 

 up a gum-tree," the "bandicoot rats," the "flying 

 phalangers," the kangaroo, and wombat next 

 appear on the stage of existence. All these 

 being what are termed "non-placental" or "ovo- 

 viviparous," are the lowest group of mammals, 

 the line along which the "laws of variation," 

 "natural selection," "divergence of form," etc., 

 must have acted. We then make a great leap^ 

 to the viviparous mammal the "dugong," the 

 "dolphin," and the "whale," all of which, because 

 it has suited the Almighty to adapt the mode 

 of propagation to the circumstances under which 

 they live, naturalists have placed higher in the 



