( l^^v ) 



emphasis by one of the founders of the doctrine. All who 

 have concerned themselves with the species question are 

 aware that the validity of natural selection as an efficient 

 cause has now reached a stage in which opinions are divided 

 between two extremes. Some naturalists regard this agency 

 as the sole and all-sufRcient cause of species transformation, 

 while others recognize in natural selection only a feeble or 

 quite unimportant factor. A few, bat not many, reject 

 natural selection altogether. The majority of biologists in 

 this country, perhaps, hold an intermediate j)osition, recog- 

 nising the importance of natural selection but unconvinced as 

 to the residuary ph9nom3na,.* The discussions which have 



* lb is surprising to find that Signor Todaro, in a recent address to the 

 Reale Accademia dei Lincei, of wliicli an abstract appears in "Nature" 

 (Dec. 10th, 1896, p. 138), sliould have said that " Natural selection, which 

 tried to explain everything, has had its day, and now is only invoked to 

 account for certain secondary characteristics, or those attributed to the 

 adaptations of individual forms." The context, if correctly representing the 

 speaker's views, shows not only that he has completely failed to grasp the 

 principles of the theory, but also that he is unaware of the state of current 

 biological thought in this country. 



It is notorious that this same complaint of being misunderstood was fre- 

 quently made by Darwin after the publication of the " Origin of Species." 

 In this connection the following unpublished letter, unfortunately undated, 

 addressed to the late Prof. D. T. Ansted, F.K S., and now in the possession 

 of my father-in-law, Dr. Maurice Davis, will be of interest: — ■ 



" 15, Marine Parade, Eastbourne, 

 " Oct. 27. 

 " My dear Ansted, 



"As I am away from home on account of my daughter's health, I 

 do not know your address", and tly this at random, and it is of very little eon- 

 sequence if it never reaches you. 



" I have just been reading the greater part of your ' Geological Gossip,' 

 and liave found part very interesting ; but I want to express my admiration 

 at the clear and correct manner in which you have given a sketch of natural 

 eelection. i'ou will think this very slight praise ; but I declare that the 

 majority of readers seem utterly incapable of comprehending my long argu- 

 ment. Some of the reviewers, who have servilely stuck to my illustrations 

 and almost to my words, have been correct, but extraordinarily few others 

 have succeeded. I can see plainly, by your new illustrations and manner and 

 order of putting the casv}, that you thoroughly comprehend the subject. I 

 assure you this is most gratifying to me, and it is the sole way in which the 

 public can be indoctrinated. I am often in despair in making the generality 

 of naturalists even comprehend me. Intelligent men who are not naturalists 

 and have not a bigoted idea of the term species, show more clearness of mind. 

 I think that you have done the subject a real service, and I sincerely thank 



