It might be connected with degradation of organisation: thus the blind degraded worm-like snake (Typhlops) might supplant the true earthworm.

Here then would be degradation in the class, but certainly increase in the scale of organisation in the general inhabitants of the country.

On the other hand, it would be quite as easy to believe that true earthworms might beat out the Typhlops.

I do not see how this "competitive highness" can be tested in any way by us.

And this is a comfort to me when mentally comparing the Silurian and Recent organisms.