XL] SPECIFIC GENESIS. 265 



Again, if new species have not been manifested by the 

 action of external conditions upon minute indefinite indi- 

 vidual differences, in what precise way may we conceive 

 that manifestation to have taken place ? 



Are new species now evolving, as they have been from 

 time to time evolved ? If so,, in what way and by what 

 conceivable means ? 



In the first place, they must be produced by natural 

 action in pre-existing material, or by supernatural action.. 



For reasons- to be given in the next chapter, the second 

 hypothesis need not be considered. 



If, then, new species are and have been evolved from, 

 pre-existing material, must that material have been organic 

 or inorganic ? 



As before said, additional arguments have lately been 

 brought forward to show that individual organisms do arise 

 from a basis of m-organic material only. As, however, 

 this at the most appears to be the case exclusively, if 

 at ali, with the lowest and most minute organisms, the 

 process cannot be observed > though it may perhaps be 

 fairly inferred. 



We may therefore, if for no other reason, dismiss the 

 notion that highly organized animals and plants can be 

 suddenly or gradually built up by any combination of 

 physical forces and natural powers acting externally and 

 internally upon and in merely inorganic material as a 

 base. 



But the question is,, how have the highest kinds of 

 animals and plants arisen ? It seems impossible that they 

 can have appeared otherwise than by the agency of antece- 

 dent organisms not greatly different from them. 



A multitude of facts* ever increasing in number and 



