238 EXTINCT MONSTERS 



The great theory of Evolution was first dimly suggested by 

 Greek philosophers, such as Anaximander (B.C. 610), who may 

 have derived the idea from Egyptian, Babylonian, or Hindu 

 sources ; then revived, in a more scientific form, by Lamarck 

 last century. Fifty-two years ago it was placed on a truly 

 scientific basis by the illustrious Charles Darwin, and is now 

 generally accepted by naturalists and palaeontologists. Indeed, 

 it is hard to be a palaeontologist in these days without being also 

 an evolutionist so abundant is the evidence derived from a 

 study of extinct animals. Year by year the evidence is accumu- 

 lating, and many workers in various parts of the world are dis- 

 covering long-lost types which appear to link together some of 

 the branches of the great Tree of Life. Marsh and Cope in 

 America ; Owen, Huxley, and others in England ; have all been 

 directing our ideas in the same course. At Pikermi in Attica ; 

 in the far Western States in America ; at Sansans, Allier, 

 Leberon and other localities in France, such great and important 

 additions have been made of late to our knowledge, that it is 

 now possible to make out certain lines of evolution in the 

 Mammalia since their first important outburst at the beginning 

 of the Tertiary period. 



We now propose to trace, in the light of recent discoveries, 

 the history of one important living group, as represented by the 

 horse. 



The series of fossil horses now known is so complete, that 

 hardly a single important gap is left between the original five- 

 toed ancestor, and the horse of to-day, with only one toe to each 

 foot ! Here, then, we have the most perfect evidence of the 

 evolution of an animal from distant ages in the earth's history 

 that has ever been presented to the world! Professor Cope's 



