DOGMATIC METHODS OF TEACHING. 69 



ganisms, although no " certain proof " whatever can 

 be offered in its favour, and although experiment, the 

 " highest means of proof," has never yet produced a single 

 fossil. According to him these are actual " objective, 

 material evidences," only here we must go no further 

 than certain experience teaches us, and base no subjec- 

 tive conclusions on these objective facts. Thus, for 

 instance, in the long series of the mesozoic formations, 

 in the different strata of the Trias, Jurassic, and Chalk 

 formations, for the deposition of which a lapse of many 

 millions of years has been required, we find absolutely 

 no remains of fossil mammalia beyond lower jaws ; seek 

 where we will, nothing is anywhere to be found but 

 lower jaws, and no other bones whatever. The simple 

 reasons of this striking imperfection of the palaeontolo- 

 gical record have been clearly expounded by Lyell, 

 Huxley, and others. (Comp. my " History of Creation,'' 

 vol. ii. p. 32.) These great investigators, in accordance 

 with all other palaeontologists, have demonstrated that 

 these jaw-bones of the mesozoic period are the remains 

 of mammalia, accurately speaking of marsupials, on 

 the simple ground that the nether jaws of the extant 

 recent marsupials show a similar characteristic form 

 with the fossil ones. They therefore unhesitatingly 

 assume that the rest of the bones in the bodies of these 

 extinct animals corresponded to those of living mam- 



