263 
Let us now examine HaeckePs doctrine in order to see 
whether it will account for the incipient stages of certain 
special structures. 
It is a fundamental article in the creed of every evolutionist 
that, in the origin of species,, all changes have been indi- 
vidually slight^ minute,, and insensible. Hence,, Mr. Darwin 
says, Slight individual differences, however, suffice for the 
work, and are probably the sole differences which are effective 
in the production of new species."’^ . . . Natural selection, 
if it be a true principle, will banish the belief of any great and 
sudden modification of their structures.^"’ . . . Natural 
selection acts only by taking advantage of slight successive 
variations ; she can never take a sudden leap ; but must 
advance by short and sure, though slow steps.^^ . . . ^Hf 
it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, 
which could not possibly have been formed by numerous 
successive slight modifications, my theory would absolutely 
break down ."’^ — Origin of Sjyeciesj p. 239. 
Let these articles of the evolutionist’s creed be tested by 
some special peculiarities of animal structure. Take, for 
instance, the case of the baleen in the mouth of the Northern, 
or Eight Whale” — which subsists entirely on animal food — 
small medusa and other minute creatures. When the whale 
feeds it takes into its mouth a large • quantity of water, in 
which the food is swimming. It cannot swallow all the water, 
so this is got rid of through the strainers formed by the plates 
of baleen, which are arranged side by side along the whole 
length of the upper jaws. The fringy nature of the inner 
edge of the plates secure the prey. 
Now, according to Professor Haeckel, the progenitors of the 
Eight ” Whale were not whales at all, but some other species 
of mammals. What other aquatic mammals are there through 
which the changes may have been effected ? The only other 
purely aquatic mammals are the dugongs and the manatees. 
But these are purely vegetable feeders, and cannot, therefore, 
be held as being the immediate progenitors of the whale. 
And even if they were, until the baleen was sufficiently 
developed to serve as a perfect strainer, it would have been 
detrimental to the animal, and ought, on the hypothesis of 
Natural Selection,” to have been degraded, and ultimately 
to have been obliterated, or, at least, to have become rudi- 
mentary. Let us suppose the case of a dugong, or some such 
creature, in the process of development into a Eight Whale.” 
At one period in its history it would have had half-formed 
baleen in the upper jaw, and half-degraded teeth in the lower 
jaw. How would such a creature subsist? It would be 
