296 Darwin and Pangenesis. [July, 
him to bequeath to mankind a biological theory which shall bear 
the test of future ages, and firmly secure the pedestal of fame upon 
which the reputation of its author is already elevated. 
It may be within the memory of some of our readers, that about 
six years after the appearance of the ‘Origin of Species’—when, 
therefore, sufficient time had elapsed to enable all classes of thinkers 
to express their views upon the Darwinian theory—we ventured to 
review the state of scientific opmion upon the subject, and to add 
such original thoughts as that review had suggested to us;* and 
as we find in the work before us many attempts to explain dif_i- 
culties which at that time appeared to us to militate against the 
unqualified acceptance of the Darwinian doctrine, we may be 
pardoned for once more touching upon them, with a view to con- 
sider whether thosé obstacles have been removed in the present 
work, or whether they still impart to the hypothesis an imper- 
fection which needs to be supplied before it can be converted 
into a well-acknowledged biological guide for all ages. 
It appeared to us at that time, as it has to many others, that 
the author claimed for what he terms “ natural selection,” powers 
to modify old species as well as render permanent the character 
of new ones,—thus implying intelligence and every other attri- 
bute requisite for that purpose; and we sought to show that 
the author himself had not formed a clear conception of what 
“natural selection” is able to accomplish. We quoted one of his 
remarks, that “it” (natural selection) “can modify the ege, seed, or 
young, as easily as the adult;” + but endeavoured to show, by col- 
lateral quotations, that the author rather considered the “ conditions 
of life” as the causes which induce variability, and that then 
“natural selection” accumulates those variations when they are 
profitable for the animal. Now, as by “natural selection” the 
author meant the part played by nature (the conditions of existence 
by which the living form is surrounded) analogous to man’s opera- 
tions in selecting and training animals under domestication ; so, 
just as we might say of any change in the nature of an animal, 
“fattening” or “crossing” has effected it, instead of “the breeder 
has effected it by fattening or crossing ;” we must not be too nice 
in our distinction of terms, and we must regard “ Nature,” the 
“ conditions of existence,” “ natural selection,” as in so far one and 
the same great power favouring the continued existence of certain 
types, and even in some degree modifying those types, just as the 
breeder modifies his domesticated animals. But even granting to 
the author the utmost licence in the use of terms, we could not 
then, and cannot now, help being drawn insensibly to the conclu- 
sion that the departure from any existing type results in the 
* «Darwin and his Teachings:” ‘ Quarterly Journal of Science,’ April, 1866. 
¢ ‘Origin of Species,’ 3rd edition (1861), p. 144, par. 2. 
