ioo EVOLUTION AND NATURAL THEOLOGY. 



manner, the Teleosaurm resembled an embry- 

 onic crocodile.* 



On the theory of Evolution, a flood of light 

 is thrown upon these facts by a remark of 

 Darwin's, which does not seem to have attracted 

 the attention which it deserves. " At whatever 

 period of life a peculiarity first appears, it tends 

 to appear in the offspring at a corresponding 

 age, though sometimes earlier"-^ Assuming that 

 " community in embryonic structure reveals 

 community of descent,":}; the much simpler forms 

 of ancient organisms seem to have become 

 crystallised in the earlier stages of their mo- 

 dified descendants. Important modifications, 

 according to Darwin's law, would gradually tend 

 to appear at an earlier and earlier period ; 

 and the parent forms of the species would 

 thus be thrown further and further back, till 

 they and the earlier modifications were at 

 length only to be traced in the embryonic 

 stages of existing organisms. Each modifi- 

 cation occurring at an earlier period would 

 be an advantage to the species, as so much 



* Carpenter, op. cit. pp. 107 & 109. 



t " Origin of Species," p. 14. [The italics are ours.] 



J Op. cit. p 481. 



