and¡¡land£»¡¡of¡¡estuary¡¡and¡¡open¡¡ocean£»¡¡and£»¡¡in¡¡correspondence¡¡with
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But¡¡the¡¡inspection¡¡of¡¡these¡¡changes¡¡gives¡¡us¡¡no¡¡right¡¡to¡¡believe
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There¡¡is¡¡no¡¡trace¡¡of¡¡general¡¡cataclysms£»¡¡of¡¡universal¡¡deluges£»
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The¡¡appearances¡¡which¡¡were¡¡formerly¡¡interpreted¡¡in¡¡that¡¡way¡¡have
all¡¡been¡¡shown¡¡to¡¡be¡¡delusive£»¡¡as¡¡our¡¡knowledge¡¡has¡¡increased
and¡¡as¡¡the¡¡blanks¡¡which¡¡formerly¡¡appeared¡¡to¡¡exist¡¡between¡¡the
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there¡¡is¡¡assuredly¡¡not¡¡the¡¡slightest¡¡proof¡¡of¡¡any¡¡break¡¡in¡¡the
uniformity¡¡of¡¡Nature's¡¡operations£»¡¡no¡¡indication¡¡that¡¡events
have¡¡followed¡¡other¡¡than¡¡a¡¡clear¡¡and¡¡orderly¡¡sequence¡£
That£»¡¡I¡¡say£»¡¡is¡¡the¡¡natural¡¡and¡¡obvious¡¡teaching¡¡of¡¡the
circumstantial¡¡evidence¡¡contained¡¡in¡¡the¡¡stratified¡¡rocks¡£¡¡I
leave¡¡you¡¡to¡¡consider¡¡how¡¡far£»¡¡by¡¡any¡¡ingenuity¡¡of
interpretation£»¡¡by¡¡any¡¡stretching¡¡of¡¡the¡¡meaning¡¡of¡¡language£»¡¡it
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There¡¡remains¡¡the¡¡third¡¡hypothesis£»¡¡that¡¡of¡¡which¡¡I¡¡have¡¡spoken
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to¡¡come£»¡¡we¡¡should¡¡discuss¡¡it¡¡as¡¡carefully¡¡as¡¡we¡¡have¡¡considered
the¡¡other¡¡two¡¡hypotheses¡£¡¡I¡¡need¡¡not¡¡say¡¡that¡¡it¡¡is¡¡quite
hopeless¡¡to¡¡look¡¡for¡¡testimonial¡¡evidence¡¡of¡¡evolution¡£¡¡The¡¡very
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fit¡¡herself¡¡to¡¡our¡¡notions¡£
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to¡¡show¡¡you¡¡that¡¡there¡¡is¡¡one¡¡kind¡¡of¡¡evidence¡¡which¡¡is¡¡neutral£»
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I¡¡shall¡¡then¡¡bring¡¡forward¡¡a¡¡second¡¡kind¡¡of¡¡evidence¡¡which
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strikingly¡¡in¡¡favour¡¡of¡¡evolution£»¡¡may¡¡fairly¡¡be¡¡called
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LECTURES¡¡ON¡¡EVOLUTION
II
THE¡¡HYPOTHESIS¡¡OF¡¡EVOLUTION¡£¡¡THE¡¡NEUTRAL¡¡AND
THE¡¡FAVOURABLE¡¡EVIDENCE¡£
In¡¡the¡¡preceding¡¡lecture¡¡I¡¡pointed¡¡out¡¡that¡¡there¡¡are¡¡three
hypotheses¡¡which¡¡may¡¡be¡¡entertained£»¡¡and¡¡which¡¡have¡¡been
entertained£»¡¡respecting¡¡the¡¡past¡¡history¡¡of¡¡life¡¡upon¡¡the¡¡globe¡£
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called¡¡it£»¡¡which¡¡is¡¡furnished¡¡by¡¡the¡¡fossil¡¡remains¡¡contained¡¡in
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I¡¡then¡¡proceeded¡¡to¡¡consider¡¡the¡¡second¡¡hypothesis£»¡¡which¡¡I
termed¡¡the¡¡Miltonic¡¡hypothesis£»¡¡not¡¡because¡¡it¡¡is¡¡of¡¡any
particular¡¡consequence¡¡whether¡¡John¡¡Milton¡¡seriously¡¡entertained
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the¡¡existing¡¡state¡¡of¡¡things¡¡is¡¡the¡¡last¡¡term¡¡of¡¡a¡¡long¡¡series
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causation¡£¡¡I¡¡propose£»¡¡in¡¡the¡¡present¡¡and¡¡the¡¡following¡¡lecture£»
to¡¡test¡¡this¡¡hypothesis¡¡rigorously¡¡by¡¡the¡¡evidence¡¡at¡¡command£»
and¡¡to¡¡inquire¡¡how¡¡far¡¡that¡¡evidence¡¡can¡¡be¡¡said¡¡to¡¡be
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From¡¡almost¡¡the¡¡origin¡¡of¡¡the¡¡discussions¡¡about¡¡the¡¡existing
condition¡¡of¡¡the¡¡animal¡¡and¡¡vegetable¡¡worlds¡¡and¡¡the¡¡causes
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expedition¡¡to¡¡Egypt¡¡had¡¡called¡¡the¡¡attention¡¡of¡¡learned¡¡men¡¡to
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had¡¡been¡¡brought¡¡back¡¡to¡¡France¡¡numerous¡¡mummified¡¡corpses¡¡of
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modifications¡¡of¡¡structure£»¡¡by¡¡comparing¡¡the¡¡skeletons¡¡and¡¡such
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endured£»¡¡without¡¡undergoing¡¡any¡¡demonstrable¡¡change¡¡of
structure£»¡¡for¡¡so¡¡long¡¡a¡¡period¡¡as¡¡four¡¡thousand¡¡years£»¡¡no¡¡form
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change¡¡sufficiently¡¡great¡¡to¡¡be¡¡detected¡£
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animals¡¡is¡¡not¡¡independent¡¡of¡¡surrounding¡¡conditions£»¡¡if¡¡it¡¡may
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to¡¡varying¡¡conditions£»¡¡the¡¡argument¡¡against¡¡the¡¡hypothesis¡¡of
evolution¡¡based¡¡on¡¡the¡¡unchanged¡¡character¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Egyptian¡¡fauna
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lake¡¡extended¡¡over¡¡the¡¡region¡¡in¡¡which¡¡they¡¡are¡¡found¡£¡¡This
involves¡¡the¡¡conclusion¡¡that¡¡they¡¡lived¡¡and¡¡died¡¡before¡¡the
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