vi Pre/ace 



In reading tlie essays in proof I have availed myself freely of the 

 willing assistance of several Cambridge friends, among whom I wish 

 more especially to thank Mr Francis Darwin for the active interest he 

 has taken in the preparation of the volume. Mrs J. A. Thomson 

 kindly undertook the translation of the essays by Prof. Weismann and 

 Prof. Scliwalbe ; INIrs James Ward was good enough to assist me by 

 translating Prof. Bougie's article on Sociology, and to Mr INIcCabe 

 I am indebted for the translation of the essay by Prof. Haeckel. For 

 the translation of the botanical articles by Prof. Goebel, Prof. Klebs 

 and Prof. Strasburger, I am responsible ; in the revision of the 

 translation of Prof. Strasburger's essay Madame Errera of Brussels 

 rendered valuable help. Mr Wright, the Secretary of the Press 

 Syndicate, and Mr Waller, the Assistant Secretary, have cordially 

 cooperated with me in my editorial work ; nor can I omit to thank 

 the readers of the University Press for keeping watchful eyes on my 

 shortcomings in the correction of proofs. 



The two portraits of Darwin are reproduced by permission of 

 Messrs MauU and Fox and Messrs Elliott and Fry. The photogravure 

 of the study at Down is reproduced from an etching by Mr Axel 

 Haig, lent by Mr Francis Darwin; the coloured plate illustrating 

 Prof. Weismann's essay was originally published by him in his 

 Vortrage iiber Bescendenztheorie which afterwards appeared (1904) 

 in English under the title The Evolution Theory. Copies of this 

 plate were supplied by JNIcssrs Fischer of Jena. 



The Syndics of the University Press have agreed, in the event of 

 this volume being a financial success, to hand over the profits to a 

 University fund for the endowment of biological research. 



It is clearly impossible to express adequately in a single volume 

 of Essays the influence of Darwin's contributions to knowledge on the 

 subsequent progress of scientific inquiry. As Huxley said in 1885 : 

 " Whatever be the ultimate verdict of posterity upon this or tliat 

 opinion which Mr Darwin has propounded ; whatever adumbrations 

 or anticipations of his doctrines may be found in the writings of his 

 predecessors ; the broad fact remains that, since the publication and 

 by reason of the publication of The Origin of Species the funda- 



