THE SHORES OF J'.EITATN. 



89 



the multitude of living creatures, which could not 

 have been formed had every one been essentially 

 dilTerent from all others. But, as it is, we see that 

 deviations in structure and form are gradual, that 

 one species varies but little from a certain type, 

 another varies a little more, and so on ; thus connect 



ing each with each in a most beautiful order, some- 

 thing like the manner in which the links of a chain 

 hang from each other, or perhaps still more, like an 

 immense number of circles, so arranged as to touch 

 other circles in many parts of their circumference. 

 Goldsmith flippantly asserts, that the Shrimp and 

 the Prawn "seem to be the first attempts wliich 



