THE REIGN OF MAMMALS. 219 



forms. It is to be observed, however, that Gaudry and other 

 orthodox evolutionists in Europe deduce the horse, not from 

 Eohippus, but from Falceotherium^ and that it is equally im- 

 possible to verify either phylogeny, since the mere sequence 

 of more or less closely allied species in time does not prove 

 continuous derivation. Nor indeed are we certain that one- 

 toed horses like those now living did not exist on the dry 

 plains in Eocene times, since the inhabitants of these plains 

 are probably unknown to us. An amusing illustration of the 

 probable reason of the disappearance of the missing links 

 has recently been given by a writer not very favourable to 

 the new philosophy. The several consecutive species may 

 be represented by coins. We may suppose, for example, six- 

 pences to have been coined first, then sevenpenny, eightpenny 

 pieces, and so on up to a shilling, then pieces representing 

 thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen pence, and so on up to a half- 

 crown or crown ; but all the intervening denominations between 

 the sixpence and the shilling, and between the shilling and 

 the half-crown, were found practically of little use. Hence 

 few were coined, and they soon became obsolete. Thus the 

 antiquary would find only a few denominations, and those 

 connecting them would be seldom or never found. It is 

 plain that if we could suppose that nations constructed their 

 coinage after this unthinking and empirical fashion, and that 

 if we were justified in ascribing a similar procedure to thd 

 Creator, it might help to account for the facts as we find 

 them, otherwise we should rather suppose that in both cases 

 something like plan and calculation determined the selection 

 of the species produced, whether of coins or animals. But 

 Chance is a blind goddess, and if we instal her as creator, 

 we must expect the v/ork to proceed by a series of abortive 

 experiments. 



The Perissodactyls are not numerous at present. The 

 three groups represented by the Horse, Rhinoceros, and Tapir 

 constitute the whole ; and the two latter forms can be traced 



