158 SPECIES NOT 



in the sea without its flipper? Shew me a 

 single bone that is useless in these structures! 

 The very idea amounts to an absurdity, only 

 equalled by the supposition that follows, that 

 "the several bones in the limbs of the monkey, 

 horse, and bat, which have been inherited from 

 a common progenitor, were formerly of more use 

 to that progenitor, or its progenitors, than they 

 are now to these animals, having such widely 

 diversified habits!" and that "we may believe 

 that the progenitors of the seal had not a flipper, 

 but a foot with five toes, fitted for walking or 

 grasping ! ! !" 



I must here again quote Professor Owen : 

 "In the survey which I have taken in the present 

 course of Lectures of the genesis, succession, geo- 

 graphical distribution, affinities, and osteology of 

 the mammalian class, if I have succeeded in 

 demonstrating the perfect adaptation of each va- 

 rying form to the exigencies, and habits, and 

 well-being of the species, I have fulfilled one 

 object which I had in view, namely, to set forth 

 the beneficence and intelligence of the Creative 

 Power. 



If I have been able to demonstrate a uniform 

 plan pervading the osteological structure of so 

 many diversified animated beings, I must have 

 enforced, were that necessary, as strong a con- 

 viction of the unity of the Creative Cause. 



If in all the striking changes of form and 

 proportion which have passed under review, we 

 could discern only the results of minor modifica- 



