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double fangs in the teeth of a saurian was removed by the arrival 
in London of Dr. Harlan with his “ Basilosaurus.” That gentleman, 
with great liberality and candour, allowed sections of the fossil to 
be made in such a manner as to expose the structure of the teeth. 
And these being examined by Mr. Owen, and compared with the 
general laws of dental structure which he has lately discovered, it 
appeared that Dr. Harlan’s fossil was by no means a saurian, but 
an animal nearly allied to the Dugong, to which Mr. Owen pro- 
poses to apply the generic name of Zeuglodon, expressing the con- 
joined form of its teeth. 
I have not hesitated to lay before you the view of this subject to 
‘which I have been led by the discussions in which we have been 
engaged, notwithstanding the very great authorities which incline 
to the other side of the balance. Among these I hardly know 
whether I am to reckon Mr. Ogilby, who laid before us a very in- 
structive communication, in which, without deciding the point, he 
pointed out the difficulties which appear to him to embarrass both 
views, and especially to contradict the opinion of the marsupial 
nature of the animal. 
I have dwelt the longer on this controversy, since it involves con- 
siderations of the most comprehensive interest to geologists, and, 
we may add, of the most vital importance. For—de swmmd reipub- 
lice agitur,—the battle was concerning the foundations of our phi- 
losophical constitution; concerning the validity of the great Cuvierian 
maxim,—that from the fragment of a bone we can reconstruct the 
skeleton of the animal. This doctrine of final causes in animal 
structures, as it is the guiding principle of the zoologist’s reasonings, 
is the basis of the geologist’s views of the organic history of the 
world ; and, that destroyed, one half of his edifice crumbles into 
dust. If we cannot reason from the analogies of the existing, to the 
events of the past world, we have no foundation for our science ; 
and you, Gentlemen, have all along been applying your vigorous 
talents, your persevering toil, your ardent aspirations, idly and in 
vain. 
Besides the important investigations thus referred to, we owe to 
Mr. Owen other paleontological contributions. The genus Chero- 
potamus, established by Cuvier from an imperfect fragment of the 
bone of a skull, was asserted by him to be a Pachyderm most nearly 
VOL. Ill. I 
