136 EVOLUTION OF TO-DAY. 



abbreviate their development so much, the question 

 as to which is primitive is scarcely doubtful. And 

 when, finally, it is seen that in many cases it can be 

 demonstrated that the direct development is simply 

 a much abbreviated form of the indirect development 

 in allied animals, no doubt can remain as to which 

 is the primitive history representing more closely 

 the past history of the group. It becomes evident 

 that the falsification of the record does not prove 

 an insurmountable barrier. 



The Result of These Considerations. 



By various suggestions, then, as to the causes for 

 the modification of the embryology under certain 

 circumstances scientists have succeeded in explaining 

 many contradictions, and in showing why it is that 

 in some cases the history of animals as drawn from 

 embryology is not parallel with that drawn from the 

 anatomical relations of adults. All this has been 

 done without in the least detracting from the force 

 and cogency of the fundamental assumption that 

 embryology, when rightly understood, is a resume 

 of past history. But notice the position that is now 

 reached. Instead of claiming that embryology 

 is always a safe guide in interpreting past history it 

 is acknowledged that it seldom gives a true record, 

 being frequently so modified that a large portion of 

 the history is lost and the rest much disguised. 

 Instead of proving a simple subject as at first 

 promised, embryology has grown more and more 

 complicated, with increasing knowledge, until it has 

 almost resolved itself into the attempt to distinguish 



