OF ANIMALS. 37 



complication has its degrees of perfection. These degrees do not cor- 

 respond in perfection ; [they are not] regularly progressive in every part 

 from the most imperfect to the most perfect [animals] : although they 

 go on in pretty regular steps of perfection among themselves. Thus, 

 Fish are an inferior order of beings to Fowl ; yet Fish have teeth, a 

 property belonging to the highest order ; therefore Fish in this part 

 step over Fowl. The Amphibia, which are between Fish and Fowl, in this 

 respect resemble both, having both teeth and bill 1 ; but then they are most 

 like the Fowl in the vital parts, whilst they have teeth like the Fish. 



Perhaps the declension of animals from the most perfect to the most 

 imperfect is in a regular order or progression ; but that progression is 

 far from being an equal one ; for the differences or distances between, 

 or amongst, the most perfect are great and obvious ; but when we come 

 among the imperfect they are much closer, or less observable, if at all. 



This makes the most perfect but few in number in comparison with 

 the others ; and, in these, increases the number of genera and species ; 

 and removes the Human to the greatest distance, which is an agreeable 

 reflection. 



The declension of animals from the Human to the brute, or more 

 distant brute, is faster in the head and trunk than in the four extre- 

 mities. The trunk of a mangoose, &c. (Lemuridce), is nearer that of a 

 cat or dog, than its four extremities. The trunk of a bear is quite that 

 of the brute, but the extremities are nearer the human hand and foot. 



The more perfect animals, as Man, dogs, &c, grow in size in all sea- 

 sons of the year ; however, it is probable that the cold season may have 

 some effect in hindering the growth of the animal very sensibly. The 

 more imperfect animals have their particular seasons of growth, similar 

 to vegetables. This I should suppose is peculiar to all those animals 

 which sleep through the winter. 



On the Origin of Species. 



Does not the natural gradation of animals, from one to another, lead 

 to the original species ? And does not that mode of investigation gra- 

 dually lead to the knowledge of that species ? Are we not led on to 

 the wolf by the gradual affinity of the different varieties in the dog ? 

 Could we not trace out the gradation in the cat, horse, cow, sheep, fowl, 

 &c, in a like manner 2 ? 



1 [The lizard, Prep. No. 386, has teeth; the tortoise, No. 2105, a bill; the siren, 

 No. 1063, has both.] 



2 [The best attempt to answer this supreme question in zoology has been made by 

 Charles Darwin in his work entitled " On the Origin of Species by means of 

 Natural Selection," &c. 8vo, 1859.] 



