PREFACE 



The growing popular interest in evo- 

 lution calls for a simple statement 

 concerning this doctrine. Such a 

 statement should be as brief as is con- 

 sistent with right understanding, and 

 should be to the point. In view of the 

 animated and heated discussions that 

 have been excited by the present situ- 

 ation, this statement should be free 

 from prejudice and partiality. It is 

 from this standpoint that the follow- 

 ing pages have been written. 



No fundamental doctrine such as 

 that of evolution can be rightly con- 

 sidered without taking into account 

 its full bearings on the whole of or- 

 ganic nature. Plants and animals, 

 with all their intricate interrelations, 

 afford the materials for this theme. 

 Man as the most complex of animals 



