vin] OF EVOLUTION 93 



with a statement of the nebular hypothesis of Kant 

 and Laplace, it discussed the question of the origin 

 of life when life became possible on a cooling 

 globe and, arguing strongly in favour of the view 

 that all plants and animals, as the conditions under 

 which they existed change, had given rise to new 

 forms, better adapted to their environment, insisted 

 that the whole living creation had been gradually 

 developed from the simplest types. 



Chambers published his book anonymously, being 

 naturally afraid of the prejudices that would be 

 excited against him especially in his own country 

 by a work so outspoken, and it was not till after his 

 death that its authorship was definitely known. 



The Vestiges of Creation met with very different 

 receptions at the hands of the general public and 

 from the scientific world, at the time it was published. 

 The former were startled but captivated by its fear- 

 less statements and suggestive lines of thought; 

 while the latter were repelled and incensed by the 

 want of judgment, too frequently shown, in accept- 

 ing as indisputable, facts and experiments which 

 really rested on a very slender basis or none at all. 

 So popular was the book, however, that it passed 

 through twelve editions, the last being published 

 after the appearance of the Origin of Species. 



It is interesting to read Darwin's judgment in 

 later life on this once famous book ; he says : 



