474 Creation by Law. [Oct., 



" It is curious," says the Duke of Argyll, " to observe the 

 language which this most advanced disciple of pure naturalism 

 instinctively uses, when he has to describe the complicated structure 

 of this curious order of plants (the Orchids). ' Caution in ascribing 

 intentions to nature,' does not seem to occur to him as possible. 

 Intention is the one thing which he does see, and which when he 

 does not see, he seeks for diligently until he finds it. He exhausts 

 every form of words and of illustration by which intention or 

 mental purpose can be described. ' Contrivance ' — ' curious con- 

 trivance' — 'beautiful contrivance,' — these are expressions which 

 occur over and over again. Here is one sentence describing the 

 parts of a particular species ; ' the Labellum is developed into a 

 long nectary, in order to attract Lepidoptera, and we shall pre- 

 sently give reason for suspecting that the nectar is purposely so 

 lodged, that it can be sucked only slowly in order to give time for 

 the curious chemical quality of the viscid matter setting hard and 

 dry.' " Many other examples of similar expressions are quoted by 

 the Duke, who maintains that no explanation of these "con- 

 trivances " has been or can be given, except on the supposition of 

 a personal contriver, specially arranging the details of each case, 

 although causing them to be produced by the ordinary processes 

 of growth and reproduction. 



Now there is a difficulty in this view of the origin of the 

 structure of Orchids which the Duke does not allude to. The 

 majority of flowering plants are fertilized, either without the 

 agency of insects or, when insects are required, without any very 

 important modification of the structure of the flower. It is evident, 

 therefore, that flowers might have been formed as varied, fantastic, 

 and beautiful as the Orchids and yet have been fertilized by insects, 

 in the same manner as Yiolets, or Clover, or Primroses or a 

 thousand other flowers. The strange springs and traps and 

 pitfalls found in the flowers of Orchids cannot be necessary per se, 

 since exactly the same end is gained in ten thousand other flowers 

 which do not possess them. Is it not then an extraordinary idea to 

 imagine the Creator of the Universe contriving the various com- 

 plicated parts of these flowers as a mechanic might contrive an 

 ingenious toy or a difficult puzzle? Is it not a more worthy 

 conception that they are some of the results of those general laws 

 which were so co-ordinated at the first introduction of life upon the 

 earth as to result necessarily in the utmost possible development of 

 varied forms ? 



But let us take one of the simpler cases adduced and see if our 

 general laws are unable to account for it. 



" There is a Madagascar Orchis — the Angrsscum sesquipedale — 

 with an immensely long and deep nectary. How did such an 

 extraordinary organ come to be developed ? Mr. Darwin's explana- 



