ORIGIN OF THE ANIMATED TRIBES. 95 



It is now seen that changes in specific forms took place quietly 

 in the course of time, while no volcanic disturbances are 

 traceable. In short, it is always becoming more and more 

 clear that organic progress both the specific changes in classes 

 formerly existing, and the accession of new and higher classes 

 depended, not by any means wholly or immediately upon ex- 

 ternal circumstances, but in great part upon time. All this 

 looks very unlike either special working or special willing on 

 the part of the Creator, but, on the contrary, very like the 

 simply natural procedure of things in the world of our own day. 

 There are some other facts in the history of fossils, which 

 it is difficult to reconcile with the idea of special creative 

 effort, but which perfectly harmonize with that of a creation 

 through the medium or in the manner of law. It is admitted, 

 for instance, that " the differences which exist between extinct 

 faunas and the animals now living are so much greater in 

 proportion as these faunas are most ancient" Passing down- 

 ward in the formations and backward in time, we first find 

 species identical with the present ; next, only genera ; after- 

 wards, only families or orders. These are the words of 

 naturalists ; but the truth simply is, that in early formations, 

 animals resembled the present in broad general characters ; 

 afterwards, they resembled them in characters more parti- 

 cular ; finally, they become identical. Always as we advance, 

 the total mass of the animal creation puts on more and more 

 of the appearances which it now bears. It may be asked if 

 this does not seem to imply that the present system of things 

 is essentially connected with the past ; in which case, if the 

 present is a natural system, we have an additional proof that 

 the past was a natural system also. So also it is admitted 

 that, however nearly the specific forms may experience an 

 entire change from one formation to another, there are 

 always resemblances and approximations between each two 

 which are adjacent to each other. " If," says M. Pictet, an 

 opponent of the views here advocated, "we compare two 

 successive creations of one and the same epoch, such as the 

 faunas of the five divisions of the cretaceous formation, we 

 cannot fail to be struck with the intimate connexion they 



