l6 THE MEANING OF EVOLUTION 



tion, because he had four toes, two of which, with all 

 their bones and their hoofs, are quite useless to him. 

 We now call these toes "vestigial," and know the 

 pig's ancestors used them, walking on four toes and 

 not on two, as at present. Buffon believed there were 

 degenerations as well as developments, and considered 

 the ape a degenerate man. He conceived these 

 changes to be brought about by what he called the 

 favors and disfavors of nature. He varied much in 

 his opinions in various parts of his career and occa- 

 sionally is smitten either with conscience or with fear 

 of authority. Then he goes back and says it is all a 

 mistake and each animal is the product of a special 

 act on the part of the Creator. 



A little later, in England, Erasmus Darwin, the 

 grandfather of Charles Darwin, who was subse- 

 quently to establish the evolution theory, wrote a long 

 and elaborate poem called the "Temple of Nature." 

 In this we find a remarkable prevision of many of the 

 principles which were afterward to be warmly advo- 

 cated and disputed during the growth of the idea of 

 evolution. 



"Hence without parents by spontaneous growth, 

 Rise the first specks of animated life. 



******* 



Thus as successive generations bloom 



New powers acquire and larger limbs assume." 



