ESTIMATES OF HIS CHARACTER AND WORK 7h 
In his views on life, the nature of the will and 
reason, and other subjects, Haeckel declares that 
Lamarck was far above most of his contemporaries, 
and that he sketched out a programme of the biology 
of the future which was not carried out until our day. 
Je-Victor’ Carus* also claims for Lamarck “the 
lasting merit of having been the first to have placed 
the theory (of descent) on a scientific foundation.” 
The best, most catholic, and just exposition of La- 
marck’s views, and which is still worth reading, is that 
by Lyell in Chapters XXXIV.-XXXVI. of his 
Principles of Geology, 1830, and though at that time 
one would not look for an acceptance of views which 
then seemed extraordinary and, indeed, far-fetched, 
Lyell had no words of satire and ridicule, only a 
calm, able statement and discussion of his principles. 
Indeed, it is well known that when, in after years, 
his friend Charles Darwin published his views, Lyell 
expressed some leaning towards the older specula- 
tions of Lamarck. 
Lyell’s opinions as to the interest and value of 
Lamarck’s ideas may be found in his Life and Letters, 
and also in the Lzfe and Letters of Charles Darwin. 
In the chapter, Ox the Reception of the Origin of 
Species, by Huxley, are the following extracts 
from Lyell’s Leézers (ii., pp. 179-204). In a letter ad- 
dressed to Mantell (dated March 2, 1827), Lyell 
speaks of having just read Lamarck; he expresses 
his delight at Lamarck’s theories, and his personal 
freedom from any objections based on theological 
* Geschichte der Zeologie bis auf Fok. Miiller und Charles Darwin, 
1872. 
