mM^ 



136 FACTS AND FANCIES. 



tinct, Species Mya arenaria has lived with the 

 other through all the long duration of the Post- 

 Pliocene and modern periods, and, though hav- 

 ing its own range of varietal forms, has pre- 

 served its distinctness. Cases of this kind are 

 obviously of the nature of varietal, not specific, 

 change. 



In conclusion, the whole of the facts and laws 

 above detailed point to a predetermined plan 

 and to an intelligent Creator, of whose laws 

 and modes of procedure we may learn much 

 by patient and careful study. This surely gives 

 a great additional interest to that marvellous 

 story of the earth which in these last days has 

 been revealed to us by the study of the rocks. 

 We may also infer that not ^ne method only 

 but many have been employed in replenishing 

 the earth at first with living beings, and in add- 

 ing to these from time to time. To what ex- 

 tent we may be able to understand these, time 

 and future discoveries will show. In the mean 

 time, we can only suggest such general theories 

 as those referred to in the first of these lec- 

 tures, but can affirm that Agnostic Evolution is 

 altogether abortive in its attempts to solve t^e 

 problem of the chain of life in geological time. 



