414 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



The disaster was of a kind never before seen in the history of Science — 

 so long preparing and yet so sudden ; so quietly planned and yet so 

 mighty in its effect ; a scientific event without a parallel, whether we 

 consider the extent and the importance of the system which was over- 

 turned, or the reverberations of the downfall to the uttermost limits of 

 human knowledge. Just as, after the overturning of thrones, the neigh- 

 boring countries are for a long time all commotion and tumult, whereas 

 in the center of the disturbance itself new institutions are beginning to 

 take root, so in consequence of the Darwinian movement the always 

 unsettled border-land between science and philosophy is yet in a state 

 of violent fermentation, as we see nearly every day from the many-hued 

 bubbles of literary effort which come to the- surface. But in the field 

 of calm and earnest science this first turmoil has given way to more quiet 

 contemplation. Already a new generation, which has grown up amid 

 this revolution, is beginning to take the lead with renewed courage. 

 Leaving out of the account a few cross-grained geniuses, whose lamenta- 

 tions we can disregard and pass to the order of the day, it is on all 

 sides admitted that the old ground was untenable, and that in the place 

 of Cuvier's and Agassiz's series of creations must be substituted Mr, 

 Darwin's doctrine of descent. 



At the same time the opinion seems to be steadily growing that the 

 evolution of organic nature is to be explained only by the so-called 

 laws of organic structure. The peculiar merit assigned to Darwin is 

 that he has gained the victory for the doctrine of descent. On the 

 other hand, the doctrine of natural selection is regarded, at the best, as 

 an ingenious idea, set forth with much skill, but in point of fact of no 

 value. 



This view, in my opinion, calls in question the very best portion of 

 the new advance in science. 



Compared, indeed, with the doctrine of the systematic school, as it 

 reigned unquestioned in manuals and lecture-rooms down to the publi- 

 cation of Darwin's work, the doctrine of descent appears in itself to be 

 a great step of progress. None can be more ready to admit this than 

 they who therein see the triumph of their own views, silently enter- 

 tained ; none can more highly esteem than these pre-Darwinian Dar- 

 winists the merit of having aided in giving to the doctrine of descent its 

 present commanding position. Still it was not to be expected that these 

 men should feel as much indebted, intellectually, to the doctrine of de- 

 scent, as others who before were not quite certain whether whales didn't 

 come forth ready made out of nothing ; whether each species manu- 

 factured at pleasure by the ornithologist or the entomologist was not 

 created in the beginning, and did not enter Noah's ark. If naturalists of 

 this class, though now they accept the doctrine of descent, are neverthe- 

 less a little uneasy in their consciences, and wonder at their own audacity, 

 it is, on the other hand, perfectly natural that those older adherents of 

 the doctrine of descent should not rest content with the triumph of their 



