on the method of zadig-第4部分

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live　dog's　head；　it　is　extremely　probable　that　a　dog's　tail　is

not　far　off；　though　nobody　can　say　why　that　sort　of　head　and

that　sort　of　tail　go　together；　what　physiological　connection

there　is　between　the　two。　So；　in　the　case　of　the　Montmartre

fossil；　Cuvier；　finding　a　thorough　opossum's　head；　concluded

that　the　pelvis　also　would　be　like　an　opossum's。　But；　most

assuredly；　the　most　advanced　physiologist　of　the　present　day

could　throw　no　light　on　the　question　why　these　are　associated；

nor　could　pretend　to　affirm　that　the　existence　of　the　one　is

necessarily　connected　with　that　of　the　other。　In　fact；　had　it　so

happened　that　the　pelvis　of　the　fossil　had　been　originally

exposed；　while　the　head　lay　hidden；　the　presence　of　the

〃marsupial　bones；〃　though　very　like　an　opossum's；　would　by　no

means　have　warranted　the　prediction　that　the　skull　would　turn

out　to　be　that　of　the　opossum。　It　might　just　as　well　have　been

like　that　of　some　other　marsupial；　or　even　like　that　of　the

totally　different　group　of　Monotremes；　of　which　the　only　living

representatives　are　the　Echidna　and　the

Ornithorhynchus。



For　all　practical　purposes；　however；　the　empirical　laws　of　co…

ordination　of　structures；　which　are　embodied　in　the

generalisations　of　morphology；　may　be　confidently　trusted；　if

employed　with　due　caution；　to　lead　to　a　just　interpretation　of

fossil　remains；　or；　in　other　words；　we　may　look　for　the

verification　of　the　retrospective　prophecies　which　are　based

upon　them。



And　if　this　be　the　case；　the　late　advances　which　have　been

made　in　palaeontological　discovery　open　out　a　new　field　for　such

prophecies。　For　it　has　been　ascertained　with　respect　to　many

groups　of　animals；　that；　as　we　trace　them　back　in　time；　their

ancestors　gradually　cease　to　exhibit　those　special　modifications

which　at　present　characterise　the　type；　and　more　nearly　embody

the　general　plan　of　the　group　to　which　they　belong。



Thus；　in　the　well…known　case　of　the　horse；　the　toes　which　are

suppressed　in　the　living　horse　are　found　to　be　more　and　more

complete　in　the　older　members　of　the　group；　until；　at　the　bottom

of　the　Tertiary　series　of　America；　we　find　an　equine　animal

which　has　four　toes　in　front　and　three　behind。　No　remains　of　the

horse　tribe　are　at　present　known　from　any　Mesozoic　deposit。

Yet　who　can　doubt　that；　whenever　a　sufficiently　extensive　series

of　lacustrine　and　fluviatile　beds　of　that　age　becomes　known；　the

lineage　which　has　been　traced　thus　far　will　be　continued　by

equine　quadrupeds　with　an　increasing　number　of　digits；　until　the

horse　type　merges　in　the　five…toed　form　towards　which　these

gradations　point？



But　the　argument　which　holds　good　for　the　horse；　holds　good；　not

only　for　all　mammals；　but　for　the　whole　animal　world。　And　as　the

study　of　the　pedigrees；　or　lines　of　evolution；　to　which；　at

present；　we　have　access；　brings　to　light；　as　it　assuredly　will

do；　the　laws　of　that　process；　we　shall　be　able　to　reason　from

the　facts　with　which　the　geological　record　furnishes　us　to　those

which　have　hitherto　remained；　and　many　of　which；　perhaps；　may

for　ever　remain；　hidden。　The　same　method　of　reasoning　which

enables　us；　when　furnished　with　a　fragment　of　an　extinct　animal；

to　prophesy　the　character　which　the　whole　organism　exhibited；

will；　sooner　or　later；　enable　us；　when　we　know　a　few　of　the

later　terms　of　a　genealogical　series；　to　predict　the　nature　of

the　earlier　terms。



In　no　very　distant　future；　the　method　of　Zadig；　applied　to　a

greater　body　of　facts　than　the　present　generation　is　fortunate

enough　to　handle；　will　enable　the　biologist　to　reconstruct　the

scheme　of　life　from　its　beginning；　and　to　speak　as　confidently

of　the　character　of　long　extinct　beings；　no　trace　of　which　has

been　preserved；　as　Zadig　did　of　the　queen's　spaniel　and　the

king's　horse。　Let　us　hope　that　they　may　be　better　rewarded　for

their　toil　and　their　sagacity　than　was　the　Babylonian

philosopher；　for　perhaps；　by　that　time；　the　magi　also　may　be

reckoned　among　the　members　of　a　forgotten　Fauna；　extinguished　in

the　struggle　for　existence　against　their　great　rival；

common　sense。





FOOTNOTES



（1）　〃Discours　sur　les　revolutions　de　la　surface　du　globe。〃

Recherches　sur　les　Ossemens　Fossiles；　Ed。　iv；　t。i。　p。185。＇



（2）　〃On　the　Eclipses　of　Agathocles；　Thales；　and　Xerxes；〃

Philosophical　Transactions；　vol。　cxliii。











End