DARWIN AND ZOOLOGY 363 



significance of the new theory, wrote for Silliman's Journal a review of 

 the book, before a single copy of the " Origin " had reached this country. 

 He predicted that the work would produce great discussion — it did. 

 A copy arrived, it was carefully reviewed, but before the review could 

 be gotten through the press, a second edition was announced, and within 

 three months two American editions were advertised. 



Gray gave his first review in December. In January, Professors 

 Agassiz, Parsons and Eogers are recorded as' having discussed the 

 " Origin and Distribution of Species " at a meeting of the American 

 Academy of Arts and Sciences on Beacon Street. Gray was present. 

 In February Agassiz began his open opposition to the theory of Dar- 

 win, stating at the Boston Society of Natural History that, while Dar- 

 win was one of the best naturalists in England, his great knowledge 

 and experience had been brought to the support of an ingenious but 

 fanciful theory. 



In March Agassiz continued to oppose Darwin, and in April Gray 

 and Parsons made their reply. In May they were at it again. Then 

 followed the admirable essay of Parsons, Professor of Law at Har- 

 vard, and the unfortunate advance sheets of the third volume of 

 Agassiz's " Contributions." Then came Gray's Atlantic Monthly 

 articles, and thus ended the first year. 



Among the records of the learned societies of New York, Philadel- 

 phia and Washington, I can find nothing to indicate that there was- 

 any particular interest in the disturbances that were going on in and 

 about Boston. Professor Dana, easily the dominant figure in science- 

 at New Haven, was in poor health and out of the country, but it was; 

 generally considered that his intensely idealistic views would probably 

 have prevented him from accepting a theory that was felt by many 

 to be grossly materialistic. The infection therefore was local and re- 

 mained local about Boston for a full decade. 



In 1863 Jeffries "Wyman, in his review of Owen's monograph on 

 the " Aye-aye " gave inference of his adherence to the theories of Dar- 

 win, and indicated the impossibility of there being any neutral ground. 



In 1864 Agassiz doubtless discussed the matter before the National 

 Academy in a paper on the " Individuality of Animals." A copy of 

 the paper I have been unable to find. 



In 1865 Morse came to New York, from Salem, to be the guest of 

 this academy, but the formal paper that he presented did not contain 

 even a remote allusion to the discussions that were going on in what 

 was then considered America's educational center. 



In 1867 Hyatt's paper on '' Parallelism " appeared. This I believe 

 to be the first distinctly evolutionary contribution from the zooloo-ical 

 side. In this year, 1867, Professor Newberry, later and for twenty- 

 three years the president of this academy, delivered his address at the 

 Burlington meeting of the American Association for the Advancement 

 of Science, betraying in this a singular nobleness of character toward 



