whales of to-day—a creature this, of which, as regards its teeth at least, modern whales are but shadowy reproductions. While under the shelter of great authority we may declare this ancestor of the whale to have been intermediate in nature between the seals and whales, or between the whales and their neighbors the manatees or sea-cows and dugongs. In either case, the intermediate character of the animal argues in favor of its having been the likely parent of a race dentally degraded in these latter days.
There is little need to specialize further instances of the occurrence of rudimentary organs in the higher animals, save to remark that not the least interesting feature of such cases is contained in the fact that the milk-glands of male animals among quadrupeds—organs which exist in a rudimentary condition—have been known to become functionally active and to secrete milk; this peculiarity having been known to occur even in the human subject. Among the higher quadrupeds, however, there yet remains for extended notice one special instance of the occurrence of "rudimentary organs," wherein, not merely is the nature of the parts thoroughly determined, but the stages of their degradation can be clearly traced through the remarkable and fortunate discovery of the "missing links." Moreover, the case in point, that of the horse, so clearly illustrates what is meant by progressive development or evolution of a species of animals, that it is highly instructive, even if regarded from the latter point of view.