﻿SOUNDNESS 
  OF 
  OWEN'S 
  ARGUMENT. 
  6r 
  

  

  classification, 
  ought 
  evidently 
  to 
  correspond 
  as 
  

   nearly 
  as 
  possible 
  with 
  the 
  value 
  assigned 
  to 
  

   those 
  peculiarities 
  in 
  the 
  system 
  of 
  nature. 
  

   The 
  significance 
  of 
  any 
  anatomical 
  feature 
  

   hinges 
  on 
  the 
  number 
  and 
  variety 
  of 
  other 
  

   peculiarities 
  to 
  which 
  it 
  stands 
  related. 
  Pro- 
  

   fessor 
  Owen's 
  argument 
  is 
  therefore 
  clearly 
  

   sound 
  in 
  principle,— 
  that 
  the 
  " 
  consequences 
  " 
  

   of 
  any 
  such 
  peculiarity 
  must 
  be 
  considered 
  in 
  

   estimating 
  its 
  systematic 
  value. 
  Take 
  the 
  

   case 
  of 
  the 
  differences, 
  anatomically 
  small, 
  

   which 
  distinguish 
  the 
  arms 
  of 
  Man 
  from 
  the 
  

   arms 
  of 
  a 
  monkey. 
  " 
  The 
  consequences," 
  

   says 
  Professor 
  Owen, 
  "of 
  the 
  liberation 
  of 
  one 
  

   pair 
  of 
  limbs 
  from 
  all 
  service 
  in 
  station 
  and 
  

   progression, 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  extreme 
  modification 
  

   of 
  the 
  other 
  pair 
  for 
  the 
  exclusive 
  discharge 
  

  

  