RECENT LITERATURE. 



Darwin and After Darwin. An Exposition of the Darwinian 

 Theory and a Discussion of Post-Dar7vinian Questions. By George 

 John Romanes, M. A., L. L. D., F.R.S. I. The Darwinian Theory.* 

 Ever since the pubhcation of the Origin of Species by Means ot 

 Natural Selection, scientists have been at work adding testimony ol 

 the fact of evolution and discussing theories explanatory of the fact, 

 until, at the present time, the literature of the subject has become 

 highly complex and involved. It would be interesting, indeed, if 

 the voice of Darwin could be heard to-day concerning the many 

 questions which have arisen since his death, or upon which new- 

 light has been thrown by recent criticism and investigation. This 

 being impossible, there is no man so pre-eminently qualified to speak 

 for him as George J. Romanes. From personal contact and sym- 

 pathy with his master, and from years of stud}^ in similar lines of 

 investigation, he is probably more thoroughly imbued with Darwin's 

 spirit than any other man living, and his attitude of viewing the 

 biological problems of the day doubtless comes as near to the 

 standpoint which Darwin himself would be expected to assume as 

 is possible to imagine. His present work will consequently possess 

 a double interest and value to those concerned with the literature of 

 Darwinism. 



The first volume of the series of three, the only one as yet before 

 the public, is, as the author says in his preface, " likely to prove of 

 more service to general readers than to professed naturalists," being 

 " a systematic exposition of what may be termed the Darwinism of 

 Darwin "; and yet manv questions are raised, even in this first vol- 

 ume, in which scientists are greatly concerned. The book is very 

 properly divided into two parts, the first being a demonstration of 

 evolution as a fact, and the second a discussion of natural and sex- 

 ual selection as more or less complete explanations of the fact. 

 With the first part of the work naturalists are not so much con- 

 cerned as the general public, for if there be any actual workers in 

 scientific fields at the present day who are not convinced of the va- 

 lidity of evolution as a fact — as a description of the historical growth 

 of organisms — there is no hope for them, and they are not worth 

 wasting time with. With the general public, however, the case is 



* Open Court Publishing Co., Chicago. 



