RECAPITULATION 285 



of the constitution of the universe and of the inte- 

 rior of our globe to speculate with safety on its past 

 duration. 



That the geological record is imperfect all will admit;' 

 but that it is imperfect to the degree required by our 

 theory, few will be inclined to admit. If we look to, 

 long enough intervals of time, geology plainly declares 

 that species have all changed; and they have changed 

 in the manner required by the theory, for they have 

 changed slowly and in a graduated manner. We 

 clearly see this in the fossil remains from consecutive 

 formations invariably being much more closely related 

 to each other than are the fossils from widely separated 

 formations. 



Such is the sum of the several chief objections and 

 difficulties which may be justly urged against the theory; 

 and I have now briefly recapitulated the answers and ex- 

 planations which, as far as I can see, may be given. I 

 have felt these difficulties far too heavily during many 

 years to doubt their w^eight. But it deserves especial 

 notice that the more important objections relate to ques- 

 tions on which we are confessedly ignorant; nor do we 

 know how ignorant we are. We do not know all the 

 possible transitional gradations between the simplest and 

 the most perfect organs; it cannot be pretended that we 

 know all the varied means of Distribution during the 

 long lapse of years, or that we know how imperfect is 

 the Geological Record. Serious as these several objec- 

 tions are, in my judgment they are byng^^eans suffi- 

 cient to overtlirow the theory of descent with subsequent 

 modification. 



