DEFICIENCY OF TRANSITIONAL FORMS. 



147 



in a phase of relative stability. That for this reason their 

 intermediate forms must be looked only for in the past, 

 is as little surprising; it in no way impugns the truth of 

 the doctrine of Descent; and the demand for intermedi- 

 ate forms between these local and temporarily stable 

 forms merely proves how little those who make it have 

 appreciated the nature of Descent. 



But the objection mainly concerns those intermediate 

 forms by which the species are connected with the 

 aboriginal species preceding them in order of time. 

 According to the theory, the species now living are con- 

 nected with the aboriginal species by forms identical 

 in quality with varieties, the " species in process of 

 formation ; " the aboriginal species with others still 

 more ancient, and so on; so that an infinite number 

 of forms must have existed. We have already shown 

 (p. 97, &c.) that in an excess of zeal palaeontologists have 

 set up species, also to be reckoned by thousands, where 

 merely transitional forms and varieties actually existed; 

 we have mentioned that a number of distinguished 

 palaeontologists of the present day are endeavouring to 

 remedy the errors of their predecessors, and to exhibit 

 the uninterrupted transitional series from the lower to 

 the more recent strata, where the others with lavish in- 

 genuity imagined they had discerned specific characters. 

 Still it must be admitted that the amount of transitional 

 forms as yet actually found are a vanishing quantity, 

 as compared with the countless multitude which must 

 have existed. 



But this deficiency may be satisfactorily explained. 

 We know only a very small proportion of the fossiliferous 

 strata, and, with as much justice as Lamarck in the be- 



