174 ORGANIC EVOLUTION CONSIDERED 



as is the retina of the higher animals, is purely imag- 

 inary. 



Pressing them into service as eyes, shows the dis- 

 tressing extremity to which the theory of evolution is 

 pushed iu trying to account for the most wonderful of 

 all organs. 



As to the eyes of vertebrates, they must have been 

 independently evolved, for there are no eyes of inver- 

 tebrates from which they could have been evolved, 

 and there are no rudimentary eyes among vertebrates 

 which show any possible stages of evolution. The 

 rudimentary eyes which are found among the verte- 

 brates have, it is claimed, been rendered such by 

 disuse. 



Darwin tells us that in considering this subject, "the 

 reason should conquer the imagination." When, 

 however, we are told that we " find aggregates of 

 pigment-cells, apparently serving as an organ of vis- 

 ion, but without any nerve, and resting merely on 

 sarcodic tissue," or that at the end of any nerve ter- 

 minating on the surface pigment is liable to be depos- 

 ited, and that this pigment spot is liable to finally be 

 developed into the eye of the eagle, it occurs to me, 

 after a careful consideration of the few facts that he 

 and other evolutionists have presented upon this sub- 

 ject, that they have made a most liberal use of the 

 imagination. So far as I can see there is little except 

 imagination involved in this whole matter. 



As before remarked, it is easy in imagination to 

 begin at some point and by adding little by little 

 build up any object whatever. It is equally easy to 

 say that nature follows' this method in all cases. But 

 if we rest upon facts, then we must draw su<jh con- 

 clusions as the facts warrant. 



As to pigment-spots, they are not eyes; neither are 



