Chap. VI.] BEAUTY, HOW ACQUIRED. 251 



bones in the fin of some ancient fish-like progenitor of 

 the whole class. It is scarcely possible to decide how 

 ranch allowance onght to be made for snch causes of 

 change, as the definite action of external conditions, 

 so-called spontaneous variations, and the complex laws 

 of growth; but with these important exceptions, we 

 may conclude that the structure of every living creature 

 either now is, or was formerly, of some direct or indirect 

 use to its possessor. 



With respect to the belief that organic beings have 

 been created beautiful for the delight of man, — a belief 

 which it has been pronounced is subversive of my 

 whole theory, — I may first remark that the sense of 

 beauty obviously depends on the nature of the mind, 

 irrespective of any real quality in the admired object ; 

 and that the idea of what is beautiful, is not innate or 

 unalterable. "We see this, for instance, in the men of 

 different races admiring an entirely different standard 

 of beauty in their women. If beautiful objects had 

 been created solely for man's gratification, it ought to* 

 be shown that before man appeared, there was less 

 beauty on the face of the earth than since he came on 

 the stage. Were the beautiful volute and cone shells 

 of the Eocene epoch, and the gracefully sculptured 

 ammonites of the Secondary period, created that man 

 might ages afterwards admire them in his cabinet? 

 Tew objects are more beautiful than the minute 

 siliceous cases of the diatomacese: were these created 

 that they might be examined and admired under the 

 higher powers of the microscope ? The beauty in this 

 latter case, and in many others, is apparently wholly 

 due to symmetry of growth. Flowers rank amongst 

 the most beautiful productions of nature ; but they 



