332 THE EVOLUTION OF LIFE. 



Either the multitudinous kinds of organisms that now exist, 

 and the still more multitudinous kinds that have existed 

 during past geologic eras, have been from time to time separ- 

 ately made ; or they have arisen by insensible steps, through 

 actions such as we see habitually going on. Both hypo- 

 theses imply a Cause. The last, certainly as much as the 

 first, recognizes this Cause as inscrutable. The point at 

 issue is, how this inscrutable Cause has worked in the pro- 

 duction of living forms. This point, if it is to be decided at 

 all, is to be decided only by examination of evidence. Let 

 us inquire which of these antagonist hypotheses is most con- 

 gruous with established facts. 



