xni.] CRITICISMS ON "THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES:' 305 



aware, there is not a phrase in the " Origin of Species/' 

 inconsistent with Professor Kollikcr's position, that " va- 

 rieties arise irrespectively of the notion of purpose, or 

 of utility, according to general laws of Nature, and may 

 be either useful, or hurtful, or indifferent." 



On the contrary, Mr. Darwin writes (Summary of 

 Chap. V.) :— 



" Our ignorance of the laws of variation is profound. Not in one 

 case out of a hundred can we pretend to assign any reason why this or 



that part varies more or less from the same part in the parents 



The external conditions of life, as climate and food, &c. seem to have 

 induced some slight modifications. Habit, in producing constitutional 

 differences, and use, in strengthening, and disuse, in weakening and 

 diminishing organs, seem to have been more potent in their effects." 



And finally, as if to prevent all possible misconception, 

 Mr. Darwin concludes his Chapter on Variation with 

 these pregnant words : — 



" Whatever the cause may be of cacli slight difference in the offspring 

 from their parents — and a cause for each must exist — it is the steady 

 accumulation, through natural selection of such differences, when bene- 

 ficial to the individual, that gives rise to all the more important 

 modifications of structure, by which the innumerable beings on the 

 face of the earth are enabled to struggle with each other, and the best 

 adapted to survive." . 



We have dwelt at length upon this subject, because of 

 its great general importance, and because we believe that 

 Professor Kolliker's criticisms on this head are based 

 upon a misapprehension of Mr. Darwin's views — sub- 

 stantially they appear to us to coincide with his own. 

 The other objections which Professor Kolliker enumerates 

 and discusses are the following i 1 — 



o 



" 1. No transitional forms between existing species are known ; 

 and known varieties, whether selected or spontaneous, never go so 

 far as to establish new species." 



1 Space will not allow us to give Professor Kolliker's arguments in detail ; 

 our readers will find a full and accurate version of them in the Header for 

 August 131 h and 20th, 1SG4. 



