[3] 



perature. Now, when we consider for a moment these wonderful phe- 

 nomena, we cannot help being struck by the remarkable manner in 

 which the animal kingdom has been slowly and steadily progressing 

 towards perfection, in spite of the enormous physical difficulties encoun- 

 tered ; and we cannot help coming to the conclusion that, inasmuch as 

 there was once a time when no animal existed having eyes, ears, nose, or 

 mouth, and, still later, a period when these special sense-organs existed 

 in a very imperfect condition, it is highly probable that in the future 

 ages man, who now possesses special senses of a high order, will acquire 

 even still more highly-developed faculties. 



In congratulating ourselves upon the advance made by our own par- 

 ticular species over other members of the animal kingdom, we must 

 never forget that, although we can mentate, see, hear, smell, taste, and 

 feel, while myriads of our lowly brethren can do none of these, we yet 

 are incapable of solving the mighty problems of the universe with any 

 or all of these organs without artificial aid. No man on earth has ever yet 

 been able to solve the mighty problem of existence, in spite of his great 

 intellectual powers. No man has ever yet been able to see a millionth part 

 of the wonders in the heavens above, or in the earth beneath, with his 

 own unaided eye ; but with the telescope and microscope new worlds have 

 been opened out to him. We are as yet, undoubtedly, in but a transi- 

 tory condition, the victims of an imperfect organisation, subject to a par- 

 tially-developed brain and nervous system, and to five imperfect special 

 senses. We must accept the situation philosophically, and without 

 grumbling, and do our best to make good use of the senses we have, and 

 leave the solution of problems we are unable to solve to future races of 

 men, who will be possessed of better materials with which to operate. 



