92 THE COMING [CH. 



with those of Lamarck ; but perhaps the poetical 

 form, in which he chose to embody his ideas, led to 

 their receiving less attention than they deserved. 



As is now well known a number of writers during 

 the earlier years of the nineteenth century published 

 statements in favour of evolutionary views, and in 

 several cases the theory of natural selection was 

 more or less distinctly outlined. In addition to 

 Geoffrey and Isidore Saint Hilaire and d'Ornalius 

 d'Halloy on the continent, a number of writers 

 in this country, such as Dr Wells, Mr Patrick 

 Matthew, Dr Prichard, Professor Grant, Dean 

 Herbert, all expressed views in favour of evolution, 

 even, in some cases, foreshadowing Natural Selection 

 as the method. But these authors attached so little 

 importance to their suggestions, that they did not 

 even take the trouble to place them on permanent 

 record, and it is certain that neither Lyell nor 

 Darwin was acquainted with their writings at the 

 time they were themselves working at the subject. 



There was indeed one work which, during the 

 time that the Origin of Species was in preparation, 

 attracted much popular attention. In 1844, Robert 

 Chambers, who was favourably known as the author 

 of some geological papers, wrote a book which 

 excited a great amount of attention the well-known 

 Vestiges of Creation. This work was a very bold 

 pronouncement of evolutionary views. Beginning 



