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March 20. —. 44.

Prof. Forbes says he thinks that all Gasteropods pass through state of almost of Ascidian molluscans, like creseis

N.B. creseis one of the oldest molluscans. Suspect same with Cephalopods.

Says he has no doubt in many cases of relation of extinct & living sea-shells, like Australian case of mammals. — Says there is case like the Galapagos, in land Mollusca of different isl^ds of Graecian archipelago, having their own species. — There are fossil Tertiary shells at heights of many thousand feet on Mount Taurus. — Flora of Mt. Taurus very peculiar. — The young of all Gasteropods, when free from envelope of nidus, swim freely, hence dispersal. — Most wonderful, in one uniform bed ?/ thickness & whether spaces full of shells? with a Melania & some other shells, I think 3 species, all with a smooth

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outside, then in middle of the bed all with rougher outside & then at top all with very protuberant roughness. — Most wonderful — On common Creationist view, one must look at this roughness as some relation or effect, & like the colouring of insects in the Phillippines, shows the external influences do produce some marked effects. — There is no gradation between their forms — but if there had been a gradual change, & there sets suddenly seized & preserved, effect would be this — Grand case

Forbes tells me bed stratified & I think of same materials full of shells, some parts fuller than others, cannot say that a hair-line divided the three sets, but is sure of main fact.

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March 20 /44/

Falconer again insisted on antiquity of Testudo tecta as argument against mutability! yet admits that all even genera, are mere chasms, & calls that the real philosophy. —

He has wonderful fossils, with these a pig, with teeth wonderfully approaching a horse — Pachydermata with teeth wonderfully approaching a Ruminant, & seems to admit, that as far as these characters go our present groups get more & more broken down. — A Racehorse horse