Ta Na a 
Prof. Owen on Life and Species. 45 
usually sudden and violent nature of the changes recognizable 
in the earth’s surface. In specially directing my attention to 
this moot point, whilst engaged in investigations of fossil re- 
mains, and in the reconstruction of the species to which they be- 
longed, I was, at length, led to recognize one cause of extine- 
tion as being due to defeat in the ‘contest which as a livin 
organized whole, the individual of each species had to maintain. 
ainst the surrounding agencies which might militate against 
its existence.’ (Pref., p. xxxiv.) This principle has received 
a large and most instructive accession of illustrations from the 
extensive knowledge and devoted labors of Charles Darwin: 
but he aims to apply it not only to the extinction but the ori- 
gin of species, 
Although I fail to recognize proof of the latter bearing of 
the ‘battle of life,’ the concurrence of so much evidence in 
favor of ‘extinction by law’ is, in like measure, corrobora- 
tive of the truth of the ascription of the origin of species to a 
secondary cause. ‘; 
§ 426. How works the Derivative Law ?—The guesses made 
by those who have given the rein to the imaginative faculty in 
attempts to explain the mode of operation of the derivative 
law have mainly proved repellent to its study, and have raised 
the chief obstacles to its acceptance, by affording the most 
favorable opportunities of telling argument and caustic criti- 
cism to opponents of any recognition of such law in the ab- 
stract. Thus, De Maillet’s conception of the conditions of 
transmutation invited Cuvier’s crushing exposition of its absur- 
dity, which fell with the full weight of his great anatomical 
knowledge. Lamarck gave occasion to many similar confuta- 
tions, applied not always in good faith, and often by men with- 
out any anatomical or physiological qualifications for such 
criticism, to discredit veritable evidences of the operation of a 
secondary creative law. Subjoined, for example, is his hypothe- 
sis of the origin of the human species,* which, with similar illus- 
trations from the web-footed, hoofed, and long-necked rumi- 
nant mammalia, have afforded topics of easy ridicule. So Lyell, 
asserting that, ‘orangs had been tamed by the savages of Bor- 
neo, and made to climb lofty trees and bring down the fruit,’T 
fectionée d’entre elles, perdoit, par es e 
autre cause, habitude de grimper sur les arbres et d’en empoigner 
avec les pieds, comme avec les mains, pour s’y rs et Si 
cette race, pendant une suite de générations, étoient foreés de ne 
pieds que pour marcher, et cessoient @’ 
‘il n’est douteux, d’aprés les observations exposées 
les ta la fin transformés en bimanes, 
q manes ne n ne etc les pouces de 
leurs pieds ne cessassent d’étre écartés des doigts, ces pieds “leur servant plus 
qu’a marcher,—coxovu"’, i, p. 349. ae to ae 
+ coo’’, Ed. 1835, vol. ii, p. 463 er eee teas ee 
