348 LESSONS PROM NATURE. [CiiAP. XI. 



reaching theory, and not only this, but also against every 

 other theory which could possibly be adduced. 



&quot; In reply to my objection as to different rate of increase 

 of strength and mass as the animal increases in size by the 

 supposed transformation, Mr. Wright remarks, that the 

 neck may have grown at the expense of the hind parts in the 

 ancestors of the giraffe ; and adds, if we met with a man 

 with a longer neck than usual, we should not expect to find 

 him heavier, or relatively weaker, or requiring more food on 

 that account. I reply, that if we should not do so it would 

 only be from ignorance ; for if, ceeteris paribus, a man s neck 

 was a quarter of an inch longer, he would necessarily and 

 inevitably be heavier, less strong, and requiring more food, 

 minute though the differences in these respects might be. 



&quot;In considering criticisms on Mr. Darwin s theory drawn 

 An advan- ^ rom animal structures we must not forget how very 

 sef s e edb S y great an advantage Mr. Darwin has. He has de- 

 uieor^^biJh vised a theory according to which any possible 

 periy Wong&quot; utility of any organ is enough to account for its 

 formation. It is amazing, then, that anything 

 whatever should be found for which his theory does not 

 readily account. Much wonder and admiration with regard 

 to that theory has been expressed, because of the way it 

 accounts for so many phenomena, forgetting that this is the 

 necessary consequence of the standpoint he has taken up. 

 Let us suppose, for argument s sake, that the theory is 

 utterly wrong ; yet, let but the world be preponderatingly 

 governed by intelligence and beneficence, then the results of 

 that very intelligence and beneficence exhibited in organisms 

 can be made use of to destroy the conception of those qualities 

 in their supreme cause, and to substantiate a theory which, 

 by our supposition, is utterly devoid of truth. It is on this 

 account that Natural Selection can never be completely proved 

 or disproved by physical science in a posteriori investigation, 

 for it will be always open to one side to say the utility 

 not yet shown in any given structure will be shown later, 

 and to the other side to say whatever utility you show, 



