HISTORICAL SKETCH. Vli 



by his son, suspected, as early as 1795, that what we call 

 species are various degenerations of the same type. It was 

 not until 1828 that he published his conviction that the same 

 forms have not been perpetuated since the origin of all things. 

 Geoffroy seems to have relied chiefly on the conditions of 

 life, or the " monde ambiant" as the cause of change. He 

 was cautious in drawing conclusions, and did not believe that 

 existing species are now undergoing modification ; and, as 

 his son adds, " C'est done un probleme a reserver entierement 

 a l'avenir, suppose meme que l'avenir doive avoir prise 

 sur lui." 



In 1813 Dr. W. C. Wells read before the Royal Society 

 "An Account of a White Female, part of whose skin resem- 

 bles that of a Negro ; " bnt his paper was not published 

 until his famous "Two Essays upon Dew and Single Vision" 

 appeared in 1818. In this paper he distinctly recognizes 

 the principle of natural selection, and this is the first 

 recognition which has been indicated ; but he applies it 

 only to the races of man, and to certain characters alone. 

 After remarking that negroes and mulattoes enjoy an im- 

 munity from certain tropical diseases, he observes, firstly, 

 that all animals tend to vary in some degree, and, secondly, 

 that agriculturists improve their domesticated animals by 

 selection ; and then, he adds, but what is done in this latter 

 case "by art, seems to be done with equal efficacy, though 

 more slowly, by nature, in the formation of varieties of 

 mankind, fitted for the country which they inhabit. Of the 

 accidental varieties of man, which would occur among the 

 first few and scattered inhabitants of the middle regions of 

 Africa, some one would be better fitted than others to bear 

 the diseases of the country. This race would consequently 

 multiply, while the others would decrease ; not only from 

 their inability to sustain the attacks of disease, but from 

 .their incapacity of contending with their more vigorous 

 neighbors. The color of this vigorous race I take for 

 granted, from what has been already said, would be dark. 

 But the same disposition to form varieties still existing, a 

 darker and a darker race would in the course of time occur : 

 and as the darkest would be the best fitted for the climate, 

 this would at length become the most prevalent, if not the 

 only race, in the particular country in which it had origi- 

 nated." He then extends these same views to the white in- 

 habitants of colder climates. I am indebted to Mr. Rowley, 

 of the United States, for having called my attention, through 

 Mr. Brace, to the above £;*sstt£e of Dr. Wells's work. 



