e will at once decide the Suffolk Crag and
the St. George's Channel beds to be contemporaneous; although we happen
to know that a vast period...of time...separates the two" (loc. cit.,
page xlv). This address is republished in the "Collected Essays," Volume
VIII.; the above passage is at page 284.) I cannot think that
future geologists would rank the Suffolk and St. George's strata as
contemporaneous, but as successive sub-stages; they rank N. America
and British stages as contemporaneous, notwithstanding a percentage
of different species (which they, I presume, would account for by
geographical difference) owing to the parallel succession of the forms
in both countries. For terrestrial productions I grant that great errors
may creep in (567/3. Darwin supposes that terrestrial productions have
probably not changed to the same extent as marine organisms. "If the
Megatherium, Mylodon...had been brought to Europe from La Plata, without
any information in regard to their geological position, no one would
have suspected that they had co-existed with sea shells all still
living" ("Origin," Edition VI., page 298).); but I should require
strong evidence before believing that, in countries at all well-known,
so-called Silurian, Devonian, and Carboniferous strata could
be contemporaneous. You seem to me on the third point, viz., on
non-advancement of organisation, to have made a very strong case. I have
not knowledge or presumption enough to criticise what you say. I have
said what I could at page 363 of "Origin." It seems to me that the whole
case may be looked at from several points of view. I can add only
one miserable little special case of advancement in cirripedes. The
suspicion crosses me that if you endeavoured your best you would say
more on the other side. Do you know well Bronn in his last Entwickelung
(or some such word) on this subject? it seemed to me very well done.
(567/4. Probably "Untersuchungen uber die Entwickelungsgesetze der
organischen Welt wahrend der Bildungszeit unserer Erdoberflache,"
Stuttgart, 1858. Translated by W.S. Dallas in the "Ann. and Mag. Nat.
Hist." Volume IV., page 81.) I hope before you publish again you will
read him again, to consider the case as if you were a judge in a court
of appeal; it is a very important subject. I can say nothing against
your side, but I have an "inner consciousness" (a highly philosophical
style of arguing!) that something could be said against you; for I
cannot he