Permanence and Evolution. 109 



crystals points much more to the fixity than to 

 the mutability of organised beings, and especially 

 tells dead against pure Darwinism. 



From this point of view I join issue in toto with 

 Kovalewski ( " Osteology of the Hyopotamida," 

 Philo. Trans., 1873, pp. 44, 45), whose remarks 

 are as follows : " The extreme constancy in the 

 relations of the bones in all paradigitata being 

 ascertained, the problem which is unavoidably 

 presented to the mind of the observer may be 

 stated thus : very irregular small bones, intended 

 to constitute a movable articulation between the 

 long bones of the extremity and the metatarsals 

 and metacarpals, arranged themselves in a certain 

 way in reference to each other, and to these meta- 

 tarsals and metacarpals this arrangement remains 

 the same in all paridigitata, recent as well as 

 fossil, notwithstanding the greatest diversity of 

 form, size, and habits of life ; and if some slight 

 change is to be seen, it is due clearly to the 

 over-development of certain digits, and conse- 



