vm] OF EVOLUTION 87 



animals what his great contemporary Cuvier was 

 accomplishing for the vertebrates ; but, with regard 

 to the origin of species, he arrived at conclusions 

 directly at variance with those of his distinguished 

 rival. 



We are indebted to Professor Osborn 85 for calling 

 attention to that remarkable, but little known work 

 of Lamarck's Hydrogfologie published in 1802, 

 seven years before his Philosophic Zoologique ap- 

 peared. This work is especially interesting as showing 

 to how great an extent as in the case of Darwin, 

 Wallace and others it was geological phenomena 

 which played an important part in leading Lamarck 

 to evolutionary convictions. " In Geology/' Professor 

 Osborn writes, 



'Lamarck was an ardent advocate of uniformity, as against 

 the Cataclysmal School. The main principles are laid down in 

 his Hydrogeologie, that all the revolutions of the earth are ex- 

 tremely slow. " For Nature," he says, " time is nothing. It is never 

 a difficulty, she always has it at her disposal ; and it is for her 

 the means by which she has accomplished the greatest as well as 

 the least results 88 ."' 



On the subject of subaerial denudation (the action 

 of rain and rivers in wearing down the earth's surface), 

 Lamarck's views were as clear and definite as those 

 of Button himself ; though it is almost certain that 

 he could never have seen, or even heard of, the 

 writings of the great Scottish philosopher. On some 



