[audubon's Works Are] The Most Splendid Monuments

It Has Been Long Considered Possible To Explain The More Ancient Revolutions On... The Earth Surface By Means Of These Still Existing Causes; In The Same Manner As It Is Found Easy To Explain Past Events In Political History, By An Acquaintance With The Passions And Intrigues Of The Present Day. But We Shall Presently See That Unfortunately This Is Not The Case In Physical History:-the Thread Of Operation Is Here Broken, The March Of Nature Is Changed, And None Of The Agents That She Now Employs Were Sufficient For The Production Of Her Ancient Works.

Moreover, It Thus Follows That Not A Great Deal Of Time Was Needed For The Large Animals Of The Three Major Parts Of The World To Become Known To The People Who Spent Time On The Coasts Of Those Regions.

A Famous Anecdote Concerning Cuvier Involves The Tale Of His Visitation From The Devil—only It Was Not The Devil But One Of His Students Dressed Up With Horns On His Head And Shoes Shaped Like Cloven Hooves. This Frightening Apparition Burst Into Cuvier's Bedroom When He Was Fast Asleep And Claimed: 'wake Up Thou Man Of Catastrophes. I Am The Devil. I Have Come To Devour You!' Cuvier Studied The Apparition Carefully And Critically Said, 'i Doubt Whether You Can. You Have Horns And Hooves. You Eat Only Plants.

To Spread Healthy Ideas Among Even The Lowest Classes Of People, To Remove Men From The Influence Of Prejudice And Passion, To Make Reason The Arbiter And Supreme Guide Of Public Opinion; That Is The Essential Goal Of The Sciences; That Is How Science Will Contribute To The Advancement Of Civilization, And That Is What Deserves Protection Of Governments Who Want To Insure The Stability Of Their Power.

All Organs Of An Animal Form A Single System, The Parts Of Which Hang Together, And Act And Re-act Upon One Another; And No Modifications Can Appear In One Part Without Bringing About Corresponding Modifications In All The Rest.