THE GENEALOGY OF SHIPS. 315 



There are many apt illustrations of the invalidity of 

 arguing a material continuity in a series of terms con- 

 nected by morphological relationships. One of the re- 

 spondents to the article on the " Genealogy of Ships," 

 " S. H. M.," regarded it " a good case of atavism in jokes," 

 since, many years before, some writer in one of the Eng- 

 lish reviews had contemplated the articles of furnitm-e in 

 his study, chairs, tables, bureau, etc., as only a series 

 of modifications of the three-legged stool. Another re- 

 spondent, and this is Pikestaff, again, recalled Pro- 

 fessor Morse's humorous lecture before " Section Q," in 

 which an old hat was made to undergo, crayonically, a 

 transformation by successive differentiations into all the 

 types of head-gear known to man or woman. This was 

 funny, as much cachinnation testified; but suppose Pro- 

 fessor Morse had begun with the foot of Eohippus, and 

 manipulated it in a corresponding way, he would have 

 shown that horses, as well as hats, might be separately 

 originated. 



In another place I have instanced the history of the 

 evolution of "wheeled vehicles,"* and this, it appears, 

 has been taken up also by Mr. E. B. Tylor.f A kindred 

 example, quite admirable in its completeness, is furnished 

 by the historical and ethnical development of the plow. 

 This has lately been discussed by Mr. Tylor,t and the 

 general purport of it, so far as this point is concerned, 

 may be condensed into the following statement of success- 



* The Doctrine of Evolution, pp. 90-1. See, also, Reconciliation of Science 

 and Religion, 172-3. 



tE. B. Tylor, Journal of the Anthropological Institute, London, 1880. Mr. 

 Tylor had previously mentioned other cases, such as the evolution of fire-arms, 

 the cross-bow, fire-drill, metallic axes, etc. Primitive Culture, i, 13-14. 



t Tylor, Journal of the Anthropological Institute, 1880. The article is repro- 

 duced in Popular Science Monthly, xviii, 448-53. See, also, Tylor's Anthropology. 



