ITS INTERPRETATION. 77 



nature and functions of creatures whose remains are so 

 fragmentary, and to whom existing nature offers not a 

 single specific identity? And yet, as we shall afterwards 

 see, geological belief is much more uniform than is gene- 

 rally supposed j and, founding on this belief, palaeontology 

 has been enabled, within the brief space of half a century, 

 to establish a history of the world's Past Life, more marvel- 

 lous by far than the fabled creatures of romance, and yet 

 so true that he who remains in ignorance of its facts can 

 never hope to attain to a satisfactory knowledge of the 

 scheme of life that at present surrounds us. 



