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THE VIEWS OF AN EVOLUTIONIST. 



THE following "review" of HORSES' TEETH, written by 

 Mr. R. M. Tuttle for Johnstons' Dental Miscellany, contains so 

 much of interest on the subject of evolution that I think no 

 apology necessary for inserting it here instead of putting it 

 among the other press reviews at the conclusion of the volume : 



" The author of this work modestly suggests that it may be 

 of value to the veterinary profession and also to horsemen and 

 farmers. We have no hesitation in going further and affirm- 

 ing that it contains much of an instructive and interesting 

 character for dentists, and all scientific and thoughtful men. 

 The day has gone by when humanity laughed or grew angry 

 (according to its temper at the moment) at the mere suggestion 

 that man has any relationship with the lower animals beyond 

 their submission to his will and his right to lead them to the 

 slaughter-house. The movement of thought in the direction 

 of Evolution is battled against by some eminent thinkers. The 

 book before us does much to upset the arguments of these 

 thinkers and to support the theory they denounce. But there 

 is a middle position for those who neither agree with the theory 

 of a separate creation for every genus nor with the develop- 

 ment of animal life from one germ form. This position may 

 be described in the words of Tennyson as a ' sunless gulf of 

 doubt.' Doubt, however, is not always sunless ; and besides 

 to admit a doubt is at least frank, and we prefer it to being 

 dogmatic. Still even believers in a separate creation for every 

 genus cannot but admit that, notwithstanding the great 

 diversity in the animal kingdom, there is a oneness of princi- 

 ple, a common style of architecture, so to speak, pervading all 

 animal life, which we see in the structure of teeth, arms, legs, 

 wings, &c. 



" The construction of a horse's teeth points to the inevitable 

 conclusion that he-is a vegetarian, but the various changes in 

 the dentition of a long line of fossil horses indicate that he was 

 once probably carnivorous, or perhaps omnivorous. Teeth, 

 like other parts of the body, are influenced by use ; the change 

 is not so obvious, but it is no less certain. As the volume 



