TRANSMUTABLE. 163 



and free in the woods of South America? 



But the supposition that any particular organ 

 should be created for the especial use of another 

 animal is an absurdity. Such a notion is totally 

 opposed to the plan and order of creation in 

 which every animal is organized, to meet its 

 own requirements, and not those of other animals. 

 This plan, as far as we can understand it, is 

 to adapt the organization and structure of living 

 beings to their mode of existence; and as most 

 animals eat, drink, breathe, walk, circulate their 

 blood, etc., in a manner somewhat similar, so 

 the organs given them to perform these several 

 functions are formed upon the same plan, the 

 same end is produced by a similar means, and 

 not as Mr. Darwin contends, by an accidental 

 alteration or variation of structure adapting itself 

 to new functions. 



Although I have only gone through half Mr. 

 Darwin's volume, I think I have touched upon 

 all the principal elements of his theory. There 

 are, however, some important points still to come 

 under our notice. Instinct claims for Mr. Darwin 

 a separate chapter, for he has to overcome two 

 great difficulties, the cell of the hive bee, and 

 the slave-making ants. Of course he has a fling 

 at the stereotyped difficulty a definition of 

 instinct. He would gladly have defined it as 

 hereditary habit, had not the above two cases 

 stared him in the face. Habit is too often 

 mistaken for instinct, and it would have suited 

 Mr. Darwin very well to have made them iden- 



