IMPORTANCE OF DARWINISM. 3 



Think of the immense revolutions in all our theoretical 

 views which we owe to the general application of the 

 microscope. Think of the cell theory, which explains the 

 apparent unity of the human organism as the combined 

 result of the union of a mass of elementary vital units. Or 

 consider the immense extension of our theoretical horizon 

 which we owe to spectral analysis and to the mechanical 

 theory of heat. But among all these wonderful theoretical 

 advances, the theory wrought out by Darwin occupies by 

 far the highest rank. 



Every one of my readers has heard of the name of Dar- 

 win. But most persons have probably only an imperfect 

 idea of the real value of his theory. If a reader estimates 

 as of equal value all that has been written upon Darwin's 

 memorable work since its appearance, the value of the 

 theory will appear very doubtful to him, supposing that 

 he has not been engaged in the organic natural sciences, 

 and has not penetrated into the inner secrets of zoology 

 and botany. The criticisms of it are so full of contradic- 

 tions, and for the most part so defective, that we ought not 

 to be at all astonished that even now, after the lapse of 

 thirteen years since the appearance of Darwin's work, it has 

 not gained half that importance which is justly due to it, 

 and which sooner or later it certainly will attain. 



Most of the innumerable writings which have been pub- 

 lished during these years, both for and against Darwinism, 

 are the productions of persons who are entirely wanting in 

 the necessary amount of biological, and especially of zoolo- 

 gical, knowledge. Although almost all of the more celebrated 

 naturalists of the present day are adherents of the theory, 

 yet only a few of them have endeavoured to procure its 



