OF NEW SOUTH WALES, 95 



And still another German, Dr. *Anton Dohni, now of Naples, 

 asserts with some force that development is not always progressive 

 in the sense meant by Lamarck, but that it is quite as ready to be 

 retrogressive. 



Professor Huxley also lias during the year propounded a new 

 classification of the animal kingdom, founded chiefly, as I under- 

 stand it, upon visceral development, on the ground that a Phylo- 

 genetic classification, though the best, cannot for a Jong time be 

 investigated in such a thorough manner as to form a sound basis 

 of taxonomy. 



These are, [ think, the chief of what may be called the specula- 

 tive works on natural science lately published ; but there are 

 many others of a perhaps more useful but less pretentious character, 

 which I would willingly notice if time and space would warrant it. 



It is evident, I think, from the general tenor of scientific litera- 

 ture for some years past, that the evolution theory, long so 

 unpopular, and which under Lamarck's teaching gained so few 

 proselytes, has, under the superior fascinations of Darwin's admir- 

 able work, " The Origin of Species," become the fashionable faith. 



But what may be generally believed is not necessarily true or 

 worthy of belief. 



The mass of the reading world are generally prepared to accept 

 without much question, the views adopted by those whom they 

 have been accustomed to look up to as authorities. 



The really scientific men who have become converts to the 

 doctrine, and they are now very numerous, differ in reality a 

 great deal more than they agree. While all accept the principle 

 of evolution, they almost al I differ as to the process. The conse- 

 quence is, that we have theory after theory propounded, all 

 founded no doubt, upon useful and laborious investigations, but 

 which are use 1 ess in themselves, except as giving a motive for more 

 extended observations. 



I believe myself, that the Scottish verdict of " not proven" 

 would be the best way of meeting all these barren theories. 



We know certain things. We know from the evidence of the 

 rocks that species both of plants and animals have existed on the 

 earth, which are now extinct. We know that species which now 



