3886 REVIEWS—ON THE ORIGIN OF SPHRCIES. 
distribution of plants and animals, the embryological development of 
these, and so forth. 
But this is searcely a logical, certainly not a just method, of 
meeting the question. The case stands thus. Certain facts are given : 
certain remarkable phenomena are witnessed everywhere around us. 
We are asked to explain them. We are forced to confess they trans- 
tend our explanation, Weare asked how the world comes to be 
peopled by so very many different plants and animals. We reply, by 
the act of the Crearor: these plants and animals being the essen- 
tially-unchanged descendants of species separately created at the com- 
mencement of the existing state of things. But, say our questioners, if 
this be the case, if these type-forms were all separately created, is it not 
most strange that certain points of resemblance should pervade the 
whole? Even proud Man in his physical organization is but the end- 
link of the series, differing only in special points of structure from the 
beast that perisheth. Is it not most remarkable that many forms 
should have been created with rudimentary organs (as the mammee of 
male mammals, the soldered and abortive wings of certain insects, &c.) 
useless, normally, to themselves, though useful, under an enlarged de- 
velopment, to other forms? Is it not most startling that the foetal 
forms of various animals should pass through certain stages of develop- 
ment, representing in part the organization of other types?’ Ave not 
these and other facts that might be adduced, really without obvious 
explanation on the view that each species has been separately ereated, 
and kept distinct ? 
To these questionings, we have, of course,but one reply: These 
strange phenomena, we make answer, are regarded by us, as parts 
of a great plan, conceived and carried out by the AtmicHTy in 
his wisdom, for some purpose unfathomable to us at present, and’ 
perhaps ever to remain unfathomed by our restricted powers of 
inquiry. Beyond this, they are as inexplicable to us, as the object 
of our presence here is inexplicable. They belong to those mys- 
teries of Gop which are kept ‘on the outside of man’s dream,”” 
Many have attempted their interpretation, but all, as yet, have failed. 
Not so, say the supporters of the transmutation theory—these diffi- 
culties are met and answered by the principle of “ descent with modi- 
fication’ of species from one another. Let us do this theory no’ 
injustice. It certainly does afford a rational explanation of the remark- 
