GEOLOGY AND EVOLUTION. 91 
marck, and, a little later, the author of Vestiges of the Natural History of Crea- 
tion, and quite recently, Darwin and his followers, have given it a prominent 
position in the scientific world. ’ 
The strongest arguments and facts presented in support of their theory, have 
been based on living organisms. Our position on this question is, that the pres- 
ent period, or even the whole of the historic time, is far too short to settle the 
question of the evolution of the higher orders or genera, from the lower; and it 
is only in the long, long ages of geology that such changes can be studied with 
accurate results. To us it appears that geology must be the final arbiter in this 
great problem. We now propose to see how far this science can furnish evidence 
upon the subject of evolution. 
In advance we state three laws which will guide us in the investigation, viz: 
First. Jf evolution be true, it must be the ruling law, more or less apparent 
through all animated nature ; or at least be seen in a majority of all species and genera. 
of organic beings. 
Seconp. That it should be most clearly observable in those species, whose fossil 
remains are most numerous and most widely disseminated. 
Tuirp. That the development from the lower to the higher type, should be symmet- 
rical and harmonious. 
By the third law we mean that when animals are claimed to be derived from 
a lower form, advancement should be seen in all parts of the body, both internal 
and external, in the same degree. Prof. E’ D. Cope, an advocate of evolution, 
has expressed the idea in the following terms: ‘‘ The natural deduction is, that 
if a portion of an animal exhibits a form intermediate between two known forms _ 
or types, the remainder of the animal structure possesses the same kind of inter- 
mediacy.”** He has endeavored to show a modification of this rule in some 
cases, but the main principle stands unchanged. 
We think these three laws may be fairly and candidly deduced from what 
we already know of the operations of nature; and are not inconsistent with the 
principles laid down in the writings of Prof. Darwin and his associates. 
Now if the student in fossil remains finds forty-nine out of fifty of the most 
abundantly preserved species, showing no marked change, over large areas and 
during long geological periods, even if the remainder should present some appar- 
ent development, in a slow degree, he has a right to conclude, that evolution is 
not a law of nature, and that no high type has arisen or can arise from the lowest. 
There are about 50,000 known species of fossil plants and animals. Some 
of these are represented by very few specimens, others by hundreds or thous- 
ands, and not a few by millions. We consider ourselves justified in saying, 
that at least one-tenth part (5,000) are sufficiently numerous and val preserved 
to show the changes of evolution, if it exists. 
It is apparent that in all animated nature, there is a great diversity in the ap- 
pearance of different individuals of the same species. But we take the position, 
* Cretaceous Vertebrata, p. 8. 
