282 LETTER FROM CHEV. W, JERVIS, F.G.S. 



species ; but the remark was frequently put : " allied to sueli an 

 European species." Since Murchison, Verneuil, D'Orbigny, and 

 others give lists of mollusca from the Crimea identical with those 

 of France and England, since they are also found in many inter- 

 mediate localities, so it may yet some day be seen of Indian 

 Brachyopoda, May not local conditions likewise modify the 

 typical forms within slight limits, without affecting specific 

 characteristics ? In fact, it seems quite possible to consider imma- 

 terial differences as specific, from a too conscientious and minute 

 examination ; nor are we able to find a sufficient proportion of 

 buried individuals to enable us to prove how far such minute 

 variations were or were not confined and perhaps transient. 

 Mr. Whidborne in his lucid, mathematical criticism of the vaunted 

 bugbear of ' evolution,' has rendered a true service to science by 

 pointing out the incalculable danger of forming pet hypotheses, 

 and then bending truth ; to endeavour to pronounce as facts what 

 are mere day-dreams. His magnificent geometrical figure comes to 

 me as a grand and convincing novelty. Heartily do I agree with 

 him when he acknowledges the fascinating results obtained by 

 'evolutionists' by their hypothesis that all existing forms of 

 fauna sprung, fan-like, from one original protoplasm. Unfortu- 

 nately these ' evolutionists ' admit no examination of their assumi>- 

 tions, but boldly put their Q.E.D. before us, scorning all examina- 

 tion. But if they are just they must take up the gauntlet thrown 

 down so courageously by Mr. Whidborne with his parallel lines. 

 The same figure may be made to illustrate numerous paleeonto- 

 logical facts, which Mr. Whidborne is well fitted to demonstrate 

 to us. 



"He insists wisely on our very scanty knowledge of the palte- 

 ontological records, and would not this be fatal to evolution in 

 such cases as the types of Cephalopoda and Saurians ? For in either 

 instance, whether we look at the number of species or of the 

 genera, it would appear to me that in the successive ages of the 

 world the geometrical figure would represent converging lines 

 directed forward. Many of the families which possessed the 

 highest development have long ceased to exist leaving no kind of 

 successors. 



" In the Preface of my work I Tesori sotterranei dell' Italia^. 

 vol. iv, I insisted on the outer agency of man in producing variety 

 within the limits of species. There is nothing in the animal 



