184 SPECIES NOT 



is a universal law of nature applicable to the 

 subject. Thus we see how easily the ground is 

 cut away from beneath his feet. 



What the facts are which we are to have in 

 the promised great work, is, of course, problem- 

 atical. They cannot, however, in my opinion 

 alter the position in which he stands, inasmuch 

 as he has clearly put forth his strength in the 

 book before us, and that I believe is po\verlrss 

 to make his case even plausible. 



The ninth and tenth chapters treat of the 

 imperfection of the geological record and geological 

 succession. I have before alluded to these sub- 

 jects, and to do them justice would require much 

 greater space than I can command. The whole 

 question, however, is so well put by a conv<- 

 pondent of Archbishop VH lately, an eminent sci- 

 entific man, in a letter published in the "Spec- 

 tator," for March 24th., 1860, that I shall take 

 the liberty of making an extract from it. 



U I proceed now to notice the manner in which 

 Darwin tries to fit his principles to the facts of 

 geology. 



I will take it for granted that the knonn 

 series of fossil-bearing rocks, or deposits, may In- 

 divided into the palaeozoic, the mesozoic, the ter- 

 tiary or neozoic, and the modern, the fens, deltas, 

 etc., etc., with the spoils of the actual flora and 

 fauna of the world, and with wrecks of the works 

 of man. 



To begin then with the palaeozoic rocks. Surely 

 we ought on the transmutation theory, to find 



