PROFESSOR PICTET's OPINIONS. 155 



seen fit to change the species of elephants, rhino- 

 ceroses, tigers, and bears, using special miracles 

 to introduce new ones, one with perhaps an 

 additional tooth, another with a new tubercle or 

 cusp on the third molar, and so forth, while he 

 has seen no occasion for a similar interference 

 with the otter, wild cat, and badger, which ac- 

 cordingly have been left undisturbed in their 

 obscurity. Such may be the belief of men of 

 science, anxious to support a theory ; but assuredly 

 it will never be received by any ordinary men of 

 fair understandings who may be able to read and 

 comprehend the works of Mr. Owen. It were too 

 much for even a child's faith. Yet the Edinburgh 

 re^-iewer, a member of this school, talks of " cre- 

 dulity!" 



Perhaps it is but justice to Professor Pictet to 

 notice his partial dissent from the reigning doc- 

 trine on this point. This learned person, finding 

 that the elder alluvion of the Swiss valleys pre- 

 sents mammals identical with those which now 

 live there, though accompanied by remains of 

 elephants, and considering further that " the bats, 

 shrews, moles, badgers, hares, &c., of the caverns 

 appear to be identical with our own," concludes 

 that the following was the order of events as they 



