J34 THE IMPERFECTION OF 



inconsistent in the author of the theory to turn round 

 upon geological evidence and tax it with its extreme 

 poverty and even delusive misleading appearances. But, 

 in fact, Mr. Darwin in no way detracts from the value 

 of geological evidence. The researches necessary to 

 extend it are invested, to those who accept his theory, 

 with tenfold interest. The deficiencies and interruptions 

 in it which he has pointed out as necessarily occurring 

 must sooner or later have become apparent. They were 

 dangerous to science only as long as they were unobserved, 

 or not sufficiently taken into account. 



That the record is really imperfect is not a matter 

 which admits of controversy. No one supposes that 

 every species and variety that ever existed in past ages 

 on the globe is represented at this very day by fossil 

 specimens in prime enough condition to exhibit all the 

 characteristics of the creature as it once lived. No one 

 supposes that, if such specimens existed, all of them 

 ever could or would be found by human beings. It is 

 not in the nature of a fossil to present all the character- 

 istics of the creature as it once lived. It cannot 

 possibly do it ; for the fossil is without life and motion. 

 There is no respiration, no circulation of the blood 

 going on. As a rule, only the hard parts of the 

 creature, such as shell, scales, or bony skeleton, can be 

 preserved. In most cases all these relics have been 

 chemically altered. Nevertheless, in fossils from the 

 very lowest strata, from the very earliest formations 

 that yield any, we find certain analogies to creatures 

 now living. We reason from these analogies without 



