400 THE EVOLUTION OF LIFE. 



equally indicated by the relation between existing organic 

 types and organic types of the epoch preceding our own. 

 The evidence completely accords with the belief in a descent 

 of present life from past life. Doubtless such a 



kinship is not incongruous with the doctrine of special crea_ 

 tions. It may be argued that the introduction, from time to 

 time, of new species better fitted to the somewhat changed 

 conditions of the Earth's surface, would result in an apparent 

 alliance between our living Flora and Fauna, and the Floras 

 and Faunas that lately lived. No one can deny it. But on 

 passing from the most general aspect of the alliance, to its 

 more special aspects, we shall find this interpretation com- 

 pletely negatived. 



For besides a close kinship between the aggregate of sur- 

 viving forms and the aggregate of forms that have died out 

 in recent geologic times ; there is a peculiar connexion of 

 like nature between present and past forms in each great 

 geographical region. The instructive fact before cited from 

 Mr Darwin, is the " wonderful relationship in the same con- 

 tinent between the dead and the living." This relationship 

 is not explained by the supposition that new species have 

 been at intervals supernaturally placed in each habitat, as the 

 habitat became modified ; since, as we saw, species are by no 

 means uniformly found in the habitats to which they are best 

 adapted. It cannot be said that the marsupials imbedded in 

 recent Australian strata, having become extinct because of 

 unfitness to some new external condition, the existing mar- 

 supials were then specially created to fit the modified en 

 vironment ; since sundry animals found elsewhere, are 

 so much more completely in harmony with these new 

 Australian conditions, that, when taken to Australia, they 

 rapidly extrude the marsupials. While, therefore, the simi- 

 larity between the existing Australian Fauna and the Fauna 

 which immediately preceded it over the same area, is just 

 that which the belief in evolution leads us to expect ; it 

 is a similarity which cannot be otherwise accounted for. 



