INTRODUCTION. II 



Miscellaneous Evidence. 



But even when we carry the history back to the 

 limits of embryological record, we fail to reach the 

 beginning. Embryology starts with the living cell, 

 and traces the growth of the organic world from this 

 point. Can we learn anything of the origin of this 

 cell ? In thus going back to the very beginnings of 

 the history of life, we leave fossils and embryos far 

 behind, and have to look for our evidence elsewhere. 

 There is no history yet discovered of the earliest 

 stages of the living world. There is nothing known 

 in nature which can tell when life first appeared 

 in the world, or how. Upon this subject we can 

 make only vague conjectures, instigated by various 

 factors of nature. That in some way living things 

 arose from that which was not living is certain, for at 

 one time the world was unfitted from its molten con- 

 dition for the existence of life. But whether life 

 first came in accordance with the laws of nature 

 which are still in operation, or in accordance with 

 supernatural laws, is still a. question in dispute, and 

 perhaps may always remain so. All the evidence 

 which can be brought to bear upon the subject is 

 indirect, and can be comprised under three heads. 



i. Experiments upon spontaneous generation, t.e. 9 

 experiments to determine whether life can to-day 

 arise from the non-living. These experiments have 

 been performed with a great deal of care and perse- 

 verance. They are, however, entirely incapable of 

 touching the real question. A positive or negative 

 conclusion would have little affected the great ques- 

 tion under discussion. At the present time they 



