16 . ORIGIN OF SPECIES. 
fore, however, falling into incurable hysterics, let us 
trace the distinguished author of ‘‘Natural Selec- 
tion,” from conception, according to facts in embry- 
ology to which allusion has already been made. In 
the first place, he was a mere animalcule—then he 
resembled a fish—then a reptile—then a bird—then 
one of the lower mammalia—then an ape, etc. If 
he had been born in the fourth stage, and the embryo 
could have lived, the world would have lost one of 
its greatest naturalists, but gained an addition to 
its Reptilia. | 
The subject is too grave to be answered with ridi- 
cule or affected disgust ; especially as there are mul- 
titudes of human beings in the world, including not 
a few, in civilized lands, of whose pate:nity a great 
many baboons might well be ashamed. Those who 
are nervous on this point may find relief by ciphering 
out the difference in dignity, between being created 
directly from the crude dust of the earth, or by 
means of this same dust organized into a complete 
structure of flesh and blood. The world—the Chris- 
tian world, at least—has witnessed, historically, the 
exhibition of that which is called the ‘miraculous 
conception” in the production of a Human so infi- 
nitely above common humanity, as to be capable of 
eomplete one-ness with Divinity. Even in that 
grandest display of of divine benevolence, involving 
the salvation of mankind, God has seen fit, not te 
depart from His established laws of creation. And 
