Facts and arguments for Darwin / by Fritz Müller ; with additions by the author ; translated from the German, by W.S. Dallas.

  • Müller, Fritz, 1822-1897.
Date:
1869
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Facts and arguments for Darwin / by Fritz Müller ; with additions by the author ; translated from the German, by W.S. Dallas. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    surd and contradictory inferences, if any such were to be drawn from his theory. To this want of demonstrated contradictions I think we may ascribe just the same im¬ portance in Darwin’s favour, that his opponents have attributed to the absence of demonstrated intermediate forms between the species of the various strata of the earth. Independently of the reasons which Darwin gives for the preservation of such intermediate forms being only exceptional, this last mentioned circumstance will not be regarded as of very great significance by any one who has traced the development of an animal upon larvae fished from the sea, and had to seek in vain for months, and even years, for those transitional forms, which he nevertheless knew to be swarming around him in thousands. A few examples may show how contradictions might come forth as necessary results of the Darwinian hypo¬ theses. It seems to be a necessity for all crabs which remain for a long time out of the water (but why is of no con¬ sequence to us here), that air shall penetrate from behind into the branchial cavity. Now these crabs, which have become more or less estranged from the water, belong to the most different families—the Kaninidse (Banina), Eriphinse (Eriphia gonagrd), Grapsoidse (Aratus, Ses- arma, &c.), Ocypodidse (Gelasimus, Ocypoda), &c., and the separation of these families must doubtless be referred to a much earlier period than the habit of leaving the water displayed by some of their members. The arrange¬ ments connected with aerial respiration, therefore, could