no Natural Theology* 



specimen he is ; the general plan is perfect, the 

 details are perfect, the execution is perfect. That 

 tongue that cannot utter an articulate sound, speaks 

 in a language which every reasonable man must 

 understand. It was not only skill that planned 

 those barbs, but it was a higher skill that so organ- 

 ized the stomach and whole system of the bird 

 that the blood should carry to the tip of the tongue 

 just the materials needed to form that spear. 

 And when one talks of development through use, 

 it is incumbent upon him to show some ground for 

 believing that use of an organ can, not only change 

 its form, but can so affect the system that it shall 

 provide entirely new material to complete the 

 change. 



It is impossible to observe so many skilful and 

 beautiful arrangements as are combined in the struc- 

 ture of birds, without admiring the wisdom and skill 

 of their Creator. The feather in all its parts, the oil 

 gland, and the crop, are all special adaptations, and 

 all of them combined for the same purpose, to fit 

 the bird for its place in the animal kingdom, to 

 carry out first the leading idea of a typical bird. 

 And then by special adaptations, we have the typical 

 bird modified, giving us the countless varieties, each 

 one fitted for its sphere of life, and altogether appa- 

 rently exhausting the possibilities of bird-life. So 

 many light, aerial ships are to be launched and 

 what a wealth of contrivance in the distribution of 

 force, and in the rigging of each little craft ! What 

 man could suggest a single improvement in the 



