198 Transactions of the Society. 



could be distiiif^uished. It would, therefore, scientifically be more 

 correct to say that the embryos were 7iot like one another, than that 

 they were like. But any argument based upon the likeness, if it 

 existed, would not help the evolutionist, inasmuch as the "like- 

 ness" is far greater at an earlier stage of existence, before any 

 form or structure whatever has appeared. Every living form 

 comes from an equally structureless material, and the forms near 

 one another in the scale are not more like one another than they 

 are like forms far above or far below them. If, for example, 

 the evolutionist would examine embryonic living matter at a very 

 early period of development, he would discover not only that man 

 and dog were not to be distinguished, but that not one form of 

 living matter could be distinguished from any other form in 

 nature ; nay, the living matter which might become dog or man 

 could not be identified by any means at our disposal, or distin- 

 guished from that which belonged to amoeba or plant, and yet it is 

 put forward as a discovery of recent date that certain properties 

 manifested by the tissues of animals also characterize some of those 

 of plants. 



But after all, the assumed likeness is but a likeness in certain 

 general points, and those who wish us to draw certain conclusions 

 from their statements, ought to be asked to point out how it is 

 that every cell, every tissue of the embryos they regard as being 

 alike or identical, exhibits peculiarities and individual characteristics 

 of its own as regards elementary arrangement, rapidity of forma- 

 tion, rate of growth, duration of existence, and a number of other 

 points. Again, the statements about the changes occurring 

 during development in the lower animals being represented by 

 identical changes occurring during the earlier periods of develop- 

 ment in the higher, are correct only when taken in a very rough 

 and general way. Such phenomena, it is said, show unity of plan, 

 and favour the hypothesis of the descent of jelly-fishes from 

 sponges, and of man from apes. No doubt they do if the mind is 

 already prepared to receive such ideas. Those, however, who 

 really study the operations of nature in her inner recesses where 

 and while she is at work, will certainly often find that wdiere 

 identity is aflarmed, diversity really exists. Kough general resem- 

 blances can no doubt be pointed out, and be made much of, by 

 those who do not look too closely or intently ; but those who 

 examine minutely and patiently will find that in very many cases 

 the general resemblances will be outnumbered and outweighed by 

 specific irreconcilable diff'erences and individual pecuharities. 



If then we examine living matter in that early period of 

 development ere any structural peculiarities whatever have been 

 manifested, we shall be face to face with the problem of life. 

 For it is at this time, when the matter is without form, that the 



