10 
YELLOW-BUMPED PABBAKEET. 
“The common ancestor has perished, but the links of the chain that 
connect the whole Parrot family with him remain”, it may be replied : 
well, we prefer another theory, which has the advantage of requiring 
neither axiom nor postulate to prove its very truth. 
The Evolutionist when confronted with a difficulty, meets it by 
assuming “ages”, and saying that this species “has taken to doing so 
and so”, and this other to “doing in such another manner”, and 
“this or that characteristic has been acquired, or relinquished”, in 
virtue, of course, of some inherent power existing in the creature 
itself to modify its structure. The falsity of this doctrine has been 
demonstrated over and over again, but it is nevertheless gaining ground; 
it is the “ fashionable” theory of the day, and like all other outcomes 
of fashion will have its day. 
Lories, for instance, are Parrots which “have taken to living among 
blossoming trees, and feeding off the nectar and pollen of the flowers, 
instead of seeds and grains. Accordingly, they have acquired a shape 
well adapted to their new habits, including the short tarsi, and the 
long filamentous tongue characteristic of these birds”, but if anyone 
should ask when this change of form, this divergence from the original 
Parrot type took place, he will be told that it all happened long 
ago, is expected to accept that answer as satisfactory and conclusive, 
and to ask no more questions, which are embarrassing. “Maman”, 
said a French child to her parent one day, “where is France situated?” 
“In Europe, my love”: “and where is Eui’ope, Maman?” “In the 
world, my dear”: “but where is the world, Maman?” “In the universe. 
Miss”: “but where is that?” “ Tais-toi done, imbecile, tu m’embetes /” 
What a distance we have wandered from our Yellow-rumped friends 
to be sure ! France, the world, the universe, and we know not where 
beside; but not further than the Evolutionist from a true solution of 
the problem of life. It is a favourite theory with the apostles of the 
new belief that every one who dissents from their views is a fool; so 
be it — we prefer our folly to their wisdom. 
It is curious, to say the least, that a theory propounded by its 
author to account for the extinction of a species, should be evoked to 
explain the origin of species in general by philosophers of quite a 
different school. 
Professor Owen thus writes in reference to the Origin of Species, by 
the late Mr. Darwin: — “The influence of the contest for existence, 
amidst the changes of the circumstances to which an animal has been 
adapted, on the extinction of species, was first propounded by the 
author, in his fourth memoir on Dinornis, 1850, (Trans, of the Zool. 
Society, vol. iv., p. 15.) The same principle has since been evoked to 
