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Palæontology. Nov 10 /57/

What says the fossil history of animals - Hostile universal testimony of Past & Geology.

Reflect on how we make animals descend - every gap filled up, not between A & B, but both with C - reflect on how infinitely numerous forms must have existed - Still more why if animals have (Mem. Miss Craik's objection) been modified why do we do not find all intermedial fossil stages. I fully admit that one of the strangest apparent, perhaps, real difficulties of many encountered, ie on the common view of geological record. I admit that I shd perhaps have never doubted common view of record, had not my theory led me to doubt. Some

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have said that till some forms can be shown in process of change they wd never believe; but may this not be like disputing outlier till seen in formation; we can only show that one form passes into others by finding all intermediate grades. What chance in cattle or shells (?) Do we know that any one formation has taken long enough to deposit to include a sufficient fraction of time to modify such slow changing forms. Are our records perfect enough etc. etc.

First give duration of geological time & chance of preservation at one spot of all intermediates wide-ranging species varying at many spots.