430 CONCLUDING REMARKS. 



peared, even after having lain latent for millions of 

 generations. 



This, too, has been conceded. 



5. Darwin's next point, is, viz., That it is competent 

 and allowable to take the amount of variation or im- 

 provement, positively known to take place during (say) 

 the last hundred years, or during the historical period, 

 and therefrom to estimate the amount of variation or 

 improvement possible to occur within a million of 

 years, or other long interval of time. This proposition 

 has been demurred to, because such a proposition 

 necessarily involves 



■ 6. The further proposition, viz., That variations, or 

 improvements may proceed without any limit to them, 

 or multiply to an indefinite extent. 



This assumption, of his, of No Limit, has been 

 shown to be, both intrinsically erroneous, and conclu- 

 sively negatived by Darwin's most important factor. 



It is intrinsically erroneous, because it is both gratui- 

 tous and illegitimate. 



First: It is gratuitous, because no evidence what- 

 ever is adduced by Darwin, showing that the varia- 

 tions, or improvements, are without a limit, or that 

 they may proceed to an indefinite extent. In fact, the 

 most curious feature in Darwin's theory, and in every 

 theory of Evolution which has been propounded, is 

 that this assumption of No Limit remains a tacit 

 assumption throughout all of his works, and through- 

 out all works on the subject; notwithstanding that it 

 is an indispensable point in such theories, without 

 which they could not be constructed. 



