Section XIV -THE HORSE AND ITS POSITION 

 m THE ANIMAL WORLD 



THE HORSE OF THE PRESENT AND THE PAST 



From the investigations of geologists we have learned the fact that 

 the horse is descended from ancestors which existed in long-past ages 

 of the world's history, and which were very different in many respects 

 from the animal so familiar to us. Probably it will be very generally 

 thought that it is late in the day to attempt to question, or even to defend, 

 the teachings of geology, and the kindred subject of palaeontology, or the 

 science of extinct animal and vegetable life. At one period, however, not 

 so remote as to be out of the recollection of many of the readers of to-day, 

 the suggestion that the remains of animals and plants were to be found 

 in certain " petrifactions ", dug up from the depths of the earth, was met 

 by opposition which was as violent as it was honest and ignorant. 



Education has made rapid strides in all directions since the day of 

 merely unreasoned opposition to the advance of science; and it may per- 

 haps be said that the majority has changed its front, and is now either in 

 favour of investigation and receptive to its results, or at least accepts them 

 without any great effort, jiossibly it may be with some degree of indif- 

 ference, but in any case no longer opposes them. (Ju either assumption 

 it will be no more than fair to the reader wlio may not be a scientist, 

 and it will at the same time be inoffensive to the geologist and palaeon- 

 tologist, for whom the remarks are not intended, if we state in a few concise 

 sentences the broad principles on which those experts base their arguments 

 and conclusions. 



In the first place it may be observed that it is now well known that 

 rocks of different sorts constitute what is called the c7-ust of the earth — 

 that is, the superficial portion accessible to human observation — and what 

 is more significant, that these rocks are not for the most part heajDed 

 together in disregard of order, but are arranged in a certain succession 



