206 THE REIGN OF LAW. 



use, but only thumb-bones hid beneath the skin : 

 the wingless bird of New Zealand, the " Apteryx," 

 has useless wing-bones similarly placed : snakes 

 destined always to creep "upon their belly" have 

 nevertheless rudiments of legs, and the common 

 " Slowworm " has even the " blade bone " and 

 " collar bone " of rudimentary or aborted limbs : 

 the Narwhal has only one tusk, on the left side, 

 developed for use, like the horn of an heraldic 

 Unicorn, but the other tusk, on the right side, is 

 present as a useless germ : the female Narwhal 

 has both tusks reduced to the same unserviceable 

 condition : young whalebone Whales are born 

 with teeth which never cut the gum, and which 

 are afterwards absorbed as entirely useless to the 

 creature's life. 



At first sight it may appear as if these were 

 facts not to be reconciled with the supremacy 

 of Purpose : — at first sight, but at first sight only. 

 For as we look at them and wonder at them, 

 and set ourselves to discover how many of a like 

 nature can be found, our eye catches sight of 

 an Order which had not been at first perceived. 

 Exceptions to one narrow rule such as we might 



