1865-68 THEIR TEACHINGS 179 



for the growth of a stronger, or better, or longer 

 antler, year after year, till the antler acquires its 

 perfection as a weapon of combat. 



' The last series of objects,' the Professor 

 proceeds, 'which for the present purpose I have 

 picked up by the wayside are a number of peb- 

 bles — common wayside stones. They abound 

 in many parts of Richmond Park, in accumula- 

 tions of gravel resting upon hollows of the clay 

 — -the " London Clay " of geologists — which there 

 forms the general substratum. 



1 In some of these deposits we find that the 

 pebbles for the most part are broken, with the 

 edges slightly rounded. In other heaps we find 

 the pebbles are completely or smoothly rounded. 

 Such at once suggest a resemblance to those 

 pebbles which you may have seen on a tidal 

 shore, worn to the same state by the incessant 

 operation of the ebb and flow with the more 

 violent washing of breakers and surf- waves. Are 

 we required to believe that the rounded pebble 

 was so created, and placed as such, where we 

 happen to pick it up ? If not, what a series of 

 thoughts and conjectures such a stone conjures 

 up ! We know the cause in operation adequate 

 to its rounding. We have seen and heard the 

 ceaseless roll of the sea-bed moved by the surging 

 tide. On what shore did this take place ? How 

 was the rounded pebble transported, with its 

 gravel bed, to its present position ? In the 



N 2 



