Picture - Cosmic Polymath

THE TRAVELLING ORGANS OF ANIMALS 217
bird, to say nothing of similar modifications on a large scale in the vertebrate series, where the toes range from
five as a maximum to one as a minimum. Nor must it be forgotten that in certain sea mammals, such as the
dugong, manatee, porpoise, and whale, not only the toes, but also the limbs, especially the posterior ones, entirely
disappear.
If the dropping of toes proves anything, it proves the existence of type in limbs (as in other parts), where
enough remains to show its origin and general relations, and connections of the parts to each other. The dropping
has certainly nothing whatever to do with consanguinity and descent, or with evolution.
The object in view in the modification of limbs and other parts of animals is to make the modified parts more
perfect for the performance of some special work. The massive single toe of the horse, armed with a strong hoof,
is the best possible for dealing with the hard, unyielding earth in walking and running ; the wing of the flying bird,
with its fingers soldered together and its covering of fleecy elastic feathers, being the best conceivable for deaUng
with the soft, yielding air in flight. In all this there is the most convincing proof of a First Cause and Design.
The instrument is specially created to perform specific work on the most approved mechanical principles—the means
and the ends being always found side by side. No effect, great or small, is produced apart from an adequate
cause. This argues pre -determination, law, and order in infinite variety. It would be a singular circumstance
if the limbs of the horse were modelled in a way no other limbs are. As a matter of fact, the fore limbs of the
horse are less modified than the wings of the bird.
It will be seen that a by no means strong case has been made out for evolution and the descent of the modern
horse from a five-toed extinct mammal. Perhaps even less can be said when the teeth of the horse and its supposed
ancestors form the fulcra of the argument. It was noticed that the crowns of the molar or grinding teeth of the
existing horse had a complicated pattern, and immediately palaeontologists set about finding similar teeth in
mammals, ancient and modern ; the mammals in question having toes ranging from five to one. Of course it
must not be overlooked that the modern horse and its supposed ancient ancestors are not the only mammals
whose molar teeth exhibit comphcated patterns. The modifications in the toes and teeth of the horse when the
mammalian series is regarded as a whole can scarcely be said to amount even to peculiarities, and assuredly do
not justify the outstanding position claimed for them by evolutionists and by those who have a fixed idea that
the horse is descended from a five-toed mammal. The supposed relation of birds to reptiles based on the posses-
sion by both of teeth, and peculiarities in the pelvis and fore limbs, is, to a large extent, fanciful, and can scarcely be
seriously entertained. The closer the subject is examined the less satisfactory it becomes. A certain amount of
detail regarding the configuration, modification and uses, especially of limbs, is necessary at this stage.
THE TRAVELLING ORGANS OF ANIMALS TO BE REGARDED AS
ORIGINAL STRUCTURES
The wings of birds in no respect resemble the fore legs of reptiles as a class. They are structures specially
modified to navigate the air. The hmbs and the hands and feet of birds vary infinitely, but in every case they
are means to ends. Thus there are running, swimming, diving, and flying birds. The ancient dodo had no
wings : the same is true of the modem apteryx. Wingless birds can only walk and run. The ostriches and emus
have small, short wings useless for flight, and long legs, which make them excellent runners ; the penguins have
small, flexible, featherless wings, which enable them to dive and to fly in, but not out of, the water—they have also
webbed swimming feet. The majority of birds have large wings provided with primary, secondary, and tertiary
feathers, by the aid of which they fly in the air. Some birds, such as the ducks, can walk, swim, dive, and fly by
turns. The travelling organs of birds are designed and adapted structures. They are in no sense to be regarded
as haphazard developments : neither are they to be regarded as evolutions as apart from design and a pre-
determined plan.
Modifications in the travelhng organs required for the purposes of progression do not prove that the bird
is descended from the reptile. Neither do similar modifications in the horse prove that that animal is descended
from a five-toed mammal. There are modifications and peculiarities in the limbs of birds and horses, and there
is gradation, but this is all that can be said. As a matter of fact, the modifications in the wings, legs, and feet
of birds show as great a variety of structure as is found between birds and reptiles themselves ; but the modifica-
tions afford proofs of adaptation and design in the traveUing organs, and do not support a blind evolution which
ignores a First Cause and refers the modifications to chance as apart from Design. Similar remarks are to be
they are not
made of the Hmbs and feet of horses. They afford examples of special developments for a purpose :
mere purposeless, bUnd adaptations, as evolutionists would have us beUeve. In the case of the hands and feet of
VOL. I.
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