﻿48 
  PRIMEVAL 
  MAN. 
  

  

  we 
  have 
  a 
  difficulty, 
  probably 
  an 
  insuperable 
  

   difficulty, 
  in 
  conceiving. 
  If, 
  therefore, 
  the 
  

   theory 
  of 
  Development 
  can 
  be 
  shown 
  to 
  

   involve 
  difficulties 
  of 
  conception 
  which 
  are 
  

   quite 
  as 
  great 
  as 
  those 
  which 
  it 
  professes 
  to 
  

   remove, 
  then 
  it 
  ceases 
  to 
  have 
  any 
  standing- 
  

   ground 
  at 
  all. 
  An 
  hypothesis 
  which 
  escapes 
  

   from 
  particular 
  difficulties 
  by 
  encountering 
  

   others 
  which 
  are 
  smaller, 
  may 
  be 
  tolerated 
  at 
  

   least 
  provisionally. 
  But 
  an 
  hypothesis 
  which, 
  

   to 
  avoid 
  an 
  alternative 
  supposed 
  to 
  be 
  incon- 
  

   ceivable, 
  adopts 
  another 
  alternative 
  encom- 
  

   passed 
  by 
  many 
  difficulties 
  quite 
  as 
  great, 
  

   is 
  not 
  entitled 
  even 
  to 
  provisional 
  acceptance. 
  

   Now, 
  the 
  difficulties 
  attending 
  the 
  theory 
  of 
  

   Development, 
  or 
  of 
  creation 
  by 
  birth, 
  attain 
  

   their 
  maximum 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  Man. 
  Some 
  

  

  