1867.] Creation by Law. 487 



between distinct genera or distinct families. The facts adduced 

 by the writer of this article, of the definite limits to variability in 

 certain directions in domesticated animals, are no objection whatever 

 to the view that all the modifications which exist in nature have 

 been produced by the accumulation by natural selection of small 

 and useful variations, since those very modifications have equally 

 definite and very similar limits. 



To another of this writer's objections — that by Professor 

 Thomson's calculations the sun can only have existed in a solid 

 state 500 millions of years, and that therefore time would not 

 suffice for the slow process of development of all living organisms — 

 it is hardly necessary to reply, as it cannot be seriously contended, 

 either that this calculation has any claims to even approximate 

 accuracy, or that the process of change and development may not 

 have been sufficiently rapid to have occurred within that period. 

 His objection to the Classification argument is, however, more 

 plausible. The uncertainty of opinion among Naturalists as to 

 which are species and which varieties, is one of Mr. Darwin's very 

 strong arguments that these two names cannot belong to things 

 quite distinct in nature and origin. The Ke viewer says that this 

 argument is of no weight, because the works of man present exactly 

 the same phenomena, and he instances patent inventions, and the 

 excessive difiiculty of determining whether they are new or old. 

 I accept the analogy, and maintain that it is all in favour of Mr. 

 Darwin's views. For are not all inventions of the same kind directly 

 affiliated to a common ancestor. Are not improved Steam Engines 

 or Clocks the lineal descendants of some existing Steam Engine or 

 Clock ? Is there ever a new Creation in Art or Science any more 

 than in Nature ? Did ever patentee absolutely originate any 

 complete and entire invention, no portion of which was derived 

 from anything that had been made or described before? It is 

 therefore clear, that the difficulty of distinguishing the various 

 classes of inventions which claim to be new is of the same nature 

 as the difiiculty of distinguishing varieties and species, because 

 neither are absolute new creations, but both are alike descendants 

 of pre-existing forms, from which and from each other they differ 

 by varying and often imperceptible degrees. It appears then, that 

 however plausible this writer's objections may seem, whenever he 

 descends from generalities to any specific statement, his suppcs2d 

 difficulties turn out to be in reality strongly confirmatory of 

 Mr. Darwin's view. 



I cannot conclude this paper without expressing my admiration 

 of the manner in which many subjects are treated in the " Eeign 

 of Law." With the definition and limitation of the term " Super- 

 natural," I cordially agree. The exposition of the mechanism of 

 flight is in every respect admirable ; and the views on the Political 



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