,270 Natural Theology. 



of the peacocK and the ruby and emerald tints of 

 the humming-birds, and thousands of other forms 

 that swarm in the tropics. Take the fishes of the 

 rivers or of the ocean, the birds and animals of 

 higher type, as they come from the hand of nature, 

 and wonder at the artistic display of color. It can- 

 not possibly, once in a hundred cases, have any 

 reference to the enjoyment of the animal. In some 

 cases similarity of color to natural objects may pro- 

 tect the animal from its foes ; but in the vast majo- 

 rity of cases color must be regarded as a gratuitous 

 provision having no reference to the animal itself. 

 Yet ro one who studies it can fail to recognize de- 

 sign ; and the only possible design in the harmony 

 and balancing of colors, must be the delight of intel- 

 ligent beings. 



But just at this point I am reminded that this 

 beauty did not begin when man appeared upon the 

 earth to admire it. There is the same artistic skill, 

 not only in adapting means to ends, but in the 

 ornamentation also, among the geologic plants and 

 animals, as appears now. We have no doubt there 

 is a vastly greater wealth of animal and plant-beauty 

 upon the earth now than in any previous geologic 

 period. We are not sure of this indeed, but only 

 infer it from the kinds that live now compared with 

 those that lived then. But whatever tribes ap- 

 peared had their beauty, and its traces are left in 

 the rocks. We find this beauty of ornamentation 

 even among the trilobites of the silurian rocks. 

 And in any geological cabinet can be found sped- 



