MONISTIC EVOLUTION 141 



structure of a watch would be fatal. The question 

 is whether machines (which monists consider all 

 animals to be, including themselves) infinitely more 

 complicated than watches could come into existence 

 without design somewhere ; l that is, by mere chance. 

 Common-sense is not likely to admit that this is 

 possible. 



The difficulties above referred to relate to the 

 introduction of life and of new species on the monistic 

 view. Others might be referred to in connection 

 with the production of new organs. An illustration 

 is afforded, among others, by the discussion of the 

 introduction of the five fingers and toes of man, which 

 appear to descend to us unchanged from the amphi 

 bians or batrachians of the Carboniferous period. In 

 this ancient age of the earth s geological history feet 

 with five toes appear in numerous species of reptilians 

 of various grades. They are preceded by no other 

 vertebrates than fishes, and these have numerous fin- 

 rays instead of toes. There are no properly transi 

 tional forms, either fossil or recent, the nearest 

 pectoral fins to fore limbs being those of certain 

 Devonian and Carboniferous fishes; but they fail to 

 show the origin of fingers. How were the five-fingered 

 limbs acquired in this abrupt way ? Why were they 

 five rather than any other number ? Why, when once 

 introduced, have they continued unchanged up to the 



1 Beckett, Origin of the Laws of Nature. 



