SOME NEW BOOKS 



Darwin and after Darwin. An Exposition ot the Darwinian Theory and a 

 Discussion of Post-Darwinian Questions. By George John Romanes, M.A , 

 LL.D., F.R.S. I. — The Darwinian Theory. 8vo. Pp.460. London : Longmans, 

 Green & Co., 1892. 



The undertaking originally planned by Mr. Romanes was sufficiently 

 extensive. It was nothing less than a complete survey of the doctrine 

 of organic evolution from its beginning in the earliest recorded times 

 down to the present day. He intended to elaborate and expand the 

 material of the course of lectures delivered by him in the Royal 

 Institution in the years 1888 to 1890 into a systematic treatise 

 in three separate volumes. The hrst part, dealing with pre- 

 Darwinian evolution, is indefinitely postponed, wherefore the title 

 " Darwin and after Darwin " has been substituted for " Before and 

 after Darwin," the title of the series of lectures. The second part is 

 contained in the volume before us, and is confined to the Darwinian 

 theory, while the third part will follow soon under the sub-title Post- 

 Darwinian Questions. 



The author, in his preface, proceeds to tell us that the present 

 volume is thus intended to be merely a systematic exposition of what 

 may be termed the Darwinism of Darwin, and that, as on this account 

 it is likely to prove of more service to general readers than to 

 professed naturalists, he has been careful to avoid assuming even the 

 most elementary knowledge of Natural Science on the part of those 

 to whom the exposition is addressed. One would suppose that the 

 Darwinism of Darwin meant Darwin's own argument and his own 

 illustrations, and would prepare to judge the book according to the 

 soundness of the exposition and the force and lucidity with which it 

 appeals to the average intelligence of those who have been unable to 

 study, or unable to understand Darwin's own writings. But on 

 reading the book itself we find that though it may be said to expound 

 the Darwinism of Mr. Romanes, there is much in it which is not 

 derived from Darwin, while much that is most characteristic of 

 Darwin is only conspicuous by its absence. 



In fact, in the introduction a different description is given of the 

 purpose and character of the book. The author here states that he 

 wishes to present the whole theory of organic evolution as he believes 

 that it will eventually stand ; that his endeavour is to exhibit the 

 general structure of the theory in what he takes to be its strictly 

 logical form, rather than to encumber any of its parts by a lengthy 

 citation of facts. The present volume is concerned with the theory 

 from the appearance of the Origin of Species in 1859 to the death of 

 its author in 1882. It is to be a condensed and critical statement of 

 the main evidences and the main objections which have thus far been 

 published with reference to the distinctively Darwinian theory, the 

 chief novelty being the pictorial illustration of the facts on which the 

 arguments are based. 



