TRANSMUTABLE. 151 



I do not think I need say one word " in refu- 

 tation of an hypothesis, which I might simply 

 designate profane, but I will leave the matter to 

 the cool reflection of those who may read a state- 

 ment which shocks and outrages every proper 

 feeling, as much as it does violence to our reason 

 and common sense. 



Instead, however, of answering that which suf- 

 ficiently answers itself, I will relate here a beautiful 

 instance of adaptation, which much puzzled natu- 

 ralists until they found out the reason ; and I 

 will take the liberty of suggesting to Mr. Darwin 

 that this is a very good instance of the uncer- 

 tainty of forming an opinion upon external 

 appearances alone. 



Had the following instance of apparently ano- 

 malous or abnormal structure not had its uses, 

 shewn by observing the habits of the animal in 

 confinement, it would doubtless have gone into 

 the list of organs undergoing modification and 

 variation, in due time to be converted by "natural 

 selection" into the perfectly-formed constituent of 

 a new species. 



The aye-aye is a small lemur, not much larger 

 than a mouse, which inhabits the island of Mada- 

 gascar exclusively. It is very curiously organized, 

 having bat-like ears, and teeth like a beaver; 

 but the peculiarity we have now to do with is 

 that of the second finger of the hands, which is 

 described as unlike anything but a monstrous 

 supernumarary digit, being slender and long, half 

 the thickness of the other fingers, and resembling 



