UNITY OF DESIGN. 629 



into these formidable weapons ; and in providing 

 it with an instrument of prehension has only 

 resorted to a greater elongation of the snout. 



The law of Gradation, in conformity to which 

 all the living, together with the extinct races, of 

 organic nature, arrange themselves, more or less, 

 into certain regular series, is one of the conse- 

 quences which have been deduced from the 

 hypothesis we are considering. Every fresh 

 copy taken of the original type is supposed to 

 receive some additional extension of its faculties 

 and endowments by the graduated developement 

 of elements, which existed in a latent form in 

 the primeval germ, and which are evolved, in 

 succession, as nature advances in her course. 

 Thus we find that each new form which arises, 

 in following the ascending scale of creation, 

 retains a strong affinity to that which had 

 preceded it, and also tends to impress its own 

 features on those which immediately succeed ; 

 and thus their specific differences result merely 

 from the different extent and direction given to 

 these organic developements ; those of inferior 

 races proceeding to a certain point only, and 

 there stopping ; while in beings of a higher 

 rank they advance farther, and lead to all the 

 observed diversities of conformation and endow- 

 ments. 



It is remarked, in further corroboration of 

 these views, that the animals which occupy the 



