254 THE HISTORY OF GEOLOGY 



operations, are prepared to measure geologic time by 

 Darwinian requirements. On this subject Huxley ex- 

 pressed himself with his usual wisdom, perceiving plainly 

 enough that biologists are in possession of no data as 

 to the rate at which species may become modified were 

 we to judge the past from the present we might have to 

 admit that they do net become modified at all he re- 

 ferred biologists to the geologist, telling them in pithy 

 words that they must take their time from the geological 

 clock. 



Phillips' position towards the Darwinian theory seems 

 to me to have been altogether a wise one ; since his time 

 the doctrine of evolution has obtained universal accept- 

 ance, but Darwin's theory is still a battle-ground for 

 contending opinions. 



And though we are compelled to call evolution to our 

 aid when we attempt to explain the facts of palaeontology, 

 yet it is well we should bear in mind that evolution does 

 not advance us far. It is a great generalisation, as was 

 the maxim that " Nature abhors a vacuum," but, like this 

 maxim, it stands itself in need of an explanation. 



Suppose by some ingenious cinematograph we could 

 recall in a continuous picture the succession of vanished 

 forms of life, and watch the transmutation of animals as 

 they passed from formless protoplasm to man ; the spec- 

 tacle would be interesting, but would the fact it displayed 

 be one whit less a miracle than that we witness every 

 time we plant the seed in the ground and watch the green 

 shoot spring forth, to produce in due time the secret buds 

 which unfold in leaf and flower ? 



Or even suppose we take the one step farther, and admit 

 the Darwinian explanation, with its three factors of selec- 

 tion, variation, and inheritance, are we much nearer to the 

 ultimate truth ? A certain Paley once considered a certain 

 watch ; the watch has grown so old-fashioned since evo- 



