320 THE 'ORIGIN OF SPECIES.' [i860.. 



more I study, the more I am led to think that natural selec- 

 tion regulates, in a state of nature, most trifling differences. 

 As squared stone, or bricks, or timber, are the indispensable 

 materials for a building, and influence its character, so is 

 variability not only indispensable but influential. Yet in the 

 same manner as the architect is the all important person, 

 in a building, so is selection with organic bodies 



[The meeting of the British Association at Oxford in i860 

 is famous for two pitched battles over the ' Origin of Species/ 

 Both of them originated in unimportant papers. On Thurs- 

 day, June 28, Dr. Daubeny of Oxford made a communication, 

 to Section D : " On the final causes of the sexuality of plants, 

 with particular reference to Mr. Darwin's work on the ' Origin 

 of Species.' " Mr. Huxley was called on by the President, but 

 tried (according to the Athenseum report) to avoid a discus- 

 sion, on the ground "that a general audience, in which senti- 

 ment would unduly interfere with intellect, was not the public 

 before which such a discussion should be carried on." How- 

 ever, the subject was not allowed to drop. Sir R. Owen 

 (I quote from the Athenseiun, July 7, i860), who "wished to 

 approach this subject in the spirit of the philosopher," ex- 

 pressed his " conviction that there were facts by which the 

 public could come to some conclusion with regard to the pro- 

 babilities of the truth of Mr. Darwin's theory." He went on to 

 say that the brain of the gorilla " presented more differences, 

 as compared with the brain of man, than it did when com- 

 pared with the brains of the very lowest and most proble- 

 matical of the Quadrumana." Mr. Huxley replied, and 

 gave these assertions a "direct and unqualified contradic- 

 tion," pledging himself to "justify that unusual procedure 

 elsewhere," * a pledge which he amply fulfilled.f On Friday 

 there was peace, but on Saturday 30th, the battle arose with 



* ' Man's Place in Nature,' by f See the ' Nat. Hist. Review/ 



T. H. Huxley, 1863, p. 114. 1861. 



