212 EVOLUTION IN BIOLOGY VI 
ment of his views, in the “Philosophie 
Zoologique,” did not take place until 1809. 
pene “ Biologie” and the “ Philosophie Zoolo- 
gique ” are both very remarkable productions, and 
are still worthy of attentive study, but they fell 
upon evil times. The vast authority of Cuvier 
was employed in support of the traditionally 
respectable hypotheses of special creation and of 
catastrophism ; and the wild speculations of the 
“Discours sur les Révolutions de la Surface du 
Globe” were held to be models of sound scientific 
thinking, while the really much more sober and 
philosophical hypotheses of the “ Hydrogeologie” 
were scouted. For many years it was the fashion 
to speak of Lamarck with ridicule, while Trevir- 
anus was altogether ignored. 
Nevertheless, the work had been done. The 
conception of evolution was henceforward irrepres- - 
sible, and it incessantly reappears, in one shape or 
another,! up to the year 1858, when Mr. Darwin 
cand Mr. Wallace published their “Theory of 
Natural Selection.” The “Origin of Species” - 
appeared in 1859; and it is within the knowledge 
of all whose memories go back to that time, that, - 
henceforward, the doctrine of evolution has— | 
assumed a position and acquired an importance 
which it never before possessed. In the “ Origin - 
of Species,’ and in his other numerous and 
1 See the ‘‘ Historical Sketch ” prefixed to the last edition of 
the Origin of Species. 
