81-i THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES 



suddenly iiltered physical conditions, namely, the mutual 

 relation of organism to organism — the improvement of 

 one organism entailing the improvement or the extermi- 

 nation of others; it follows that the amount of organic 

 change in the fossils of consecutive formations probably 

 serves as a fair measure of the relative, though not ac- 

 tual, lapse of time. A number of species, however, keep- 

 ing in a body might remain for a long period unchanged, 

 while within the same period several of these species by 

 migrating into new countries and coming into competition 

 with foreign associates, might become modified; so that 

 we must not overrate the accuracy of organic change 

 as a measure of time. 



In the future I see open fields for far more important 

 researches. Psychology will be securely based on the 

 foundation already well laid by Mr. Herbert Spencer, 

 that of the necessary acquirement of each mental power 

 and capacity by gradation. Much light will be thrown 

 on the origin of man and his history. 



Authors of the highest eminence seem to be fully satis- 

 fied with the view that each species has been independ- 

 ently created. To my mind it accords better with what, 

 y we know of the laws imp ressed on matter by the Creator, 

 that the production and extinction of the pa st and pre s- 

 it inhabitants of the world should have been due to 



secondary causes, like those determ ining the birth and 

 death of the j^ndixidjuaL.^ /W^hen I view all be ings n ot 

 as special creations, but as the lineal descendan ts of some 

 f ew beings which lived lon g before the first bed of th e.. 

 Cambrian system was deposited, they seem to me to be- 

 come ennobled. Judging from the past, we may safely 

 infer that not one living species will transmit its unal- 



