58 
fauna of islands resemble most closely those of the nearest 
“thmuses hiwever narrow, and deep sea-beds, in regulatxng 
theSties Jf marine fauna. Lastly, the same is seen also 
when we turn to the records of geology, the foss ^ ma “* / 
the old and new worlds for instance, presenting similar, though 
fL’tolKCTtet argument in f.TOur of Darwinian , ihey 
£ “ Sr^FoUi, that an nn- 
he last Item considered-the analogy between the fossil 
remains and existing species of 1 
to the last division of these tests of consistency those nam^y, 
which concern distribution in time Un^anteble as i^was 
shown to be to expect a large number of “ r if 
Pari different 
sneciehformraS^hved upon the earth from those now mhabit- 
LTl andlhatVis difference Readily increases as the stra a 
examined are more and more remote, this geology p 
"estaWy. Still we have no such enormous number of 
strictly intermediate forms as might, a prion, have bee 
stneny lime place, lt m be as ked, 
Stit, to enpoct that .nch intenn.dmto 
doubtedly going on at the present time , chang P ’ 
at all events in domestic breeds, are also going on 5 0 ’ 
then, would these changes be perceptible m tbe formations ^ 
But rarely, and as it were by chance, do any remains of these 
animals or plants become entombed at all. Low ^and then 
skeleton or some stray bones may be carried away by a river, 
or become embedded in sand or mud, not however without 
enormous risks of total disintegration; now and then a fa 
