214 SPECIES NOT 



buffalo, fin eagle, a pike, are distinct and well- 

 marked species; but because exceptional instances 

 now and then occur from variation, we are told 

 that it is necessary to use such terms as the 

 "unknown element of a distinct act of creation,'* 

 that is to say, you refine away all you know 

 to express that which you do not understand. 



I have, however, a much stronger objection to 

 make to this writer's views; namely, to the mode 

 of reasoning, by which he arrives at conclusions 

 similar to those of Mr. Darwin, that the verte- 

 brata are derived from one common parent. He 

 says that neither side can bring proof. I entirely 

 deny this; I think there is abundant proof of a 

 most satisfactory nature, that eacli animal in ex- 

 istence, has been created by a Designing Mind, 

 and adapted to the circumstances under which 

 it is destined to live. But how does our critic 

 argue the question? What does he bring on his 

 side, as a substitute for "dogmatic decision?" 

 First of all lie takes the family of cats, including 

 lions, panthers, pumas, leopards, tigers, jaguars, 

 ocelots, and domestic cats. Well this is a toler- 

 ably good family for his argument, because there 

 is a certain similarity in their habits, which might 

 induce a belief in some minds, of the possibility 

 <>f their having originated from one progenitor. 

 And I do not object that to illustrate this, 

 (notwithstanding perfectly gratuitous assumption,) 

 that the writer in the "Cornhill Magazine," 

 should bring forward the development of numerous 

 languages, or that he should argue that the va- 



