. The story of the earth and man [microform]. Geology; Paleontology; Man; Géologie; Paléontologie; Homme. 330 THE STORY OP THE EARTH AND â i 1 â il â I liavc existed ever since man began to reason on nature, and this last of them is one of the weakest and most pernicious of the whole. Let the reader take up either of Darwin^s great books, or Spencer's " Bio- logy/' and merely ask himself as he reads each para- graph, "What is assumed here and what is proved?" and he will find the whole fabric melt away like a vision. He will find, however, one difference between these wr
. The story of the earth and man [microform]. Geology; Paleontology; Man; Géologie; Paléontologie; Homme. 330 THE STORY OP THE EARTH AND â i 1 â il â I liavc existed ever since man began to reason on nature, and this last of them is one of the weakest and most pernicious of the whole. Let the reader take up either of Darwin^s great books, or Spencer's " Bio- logy/' and merely ask himself as he reads each para- graph, "What is assumed here and what is proved?" and he will find the whole fabric melt away like a vision. He will find, however, one difference between these writers. Darwin always states facts carefully and accurately, and when he comes to a difficulty tries to meet it fairly. Spencer often exaggerates or extenuates with reference to bis facts, and uses the arts of the dialectician where argument fails. Many naturalists who should know better are puz- zled with the great array oi; facts presented by evolutionists; and while their better judgment causes them to doubt as to the possibility of the structures which they study being produced by such blind and material processes, are forced to admit that there must surely be something in a theory so confidently asserted, supported by so great names, and by such an imposing array of relations which it can explain. They would be relieved from their weak concessions were they to study carefully a few of the instances adduced, and to consider how easy it is by a little ingenuity to group undoubted facts around a false theory. I could wish to present here illustrations of this, which abound in every part of the works I have referred to, but space will not permit. One or two must suffice. The first may be taken from one of. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Dawson, J. W. (John William), Sir, 1820-1899. To
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