OBJECTIONS TO EVOLUTION 157 



As to the evolution of the wings of birds, we are in 

 the dark. It is claimed that birds were evolved, not 

 from Pterodactyls, but from reptiles that had no 

 wings. The oldest known fossil birds were covered 

 with feathers, and the wings were sufficient for flight. 

 No birds with rudimentary wings have been found 

 connecting the bird with any older form. 



Among living birds we find all grades of wings. 

 The apteryx has rudimentary wings that are of no 

 use; the ostrich has wings by far too small for flight; 

 the penguin has small wings that are used as fins; 

 the logger-headed duck has barely sufficient power of 

 flight to skim along the surface of the water. 



It might seem that these are examples of the evolu- 

 tion of wings, but evolutionists themselves claim that 

 these various wings which are useless for flight have 

 been rendered so by disuse. 



The opposite of this, however, which evolution 

 implies, is not true. If we take the wings of the 

 apteryx, which are the merest rudiments, and are of 

 no use whatever, we can conceive of no probable 

 method by which they could ever become useful wings 

 for swimming, for flight, or for any other purpose. 



An organ may possibly become smaller and smaller, 

 and finally pass out of existence by disuse, but until 

 an organ is of sufficient size to be used it cannot be 

 developed by use. The inability of limbs of any kind 

 to survive the thousands of generations involved in 

 the rudimentary period, I regard as fatal to the 

 theory of evolution. 



We are told, however, that an organ may at one 

 time serve one purpose and at another time another 

 purpose. The wings of the penguin are given as an 

 illustration. 



So far as the wings of birds which cannot fly are 

 concerned, they, by admission, illustrate a retrograde 



