52 Darwinism and Other Essays. 



seeks in the present work to interpret the facts 

 disclosed by scientific induction concerning the 

 origin of man, his psychical nature, his history, and 

 his destiny as a denizen of the earth. With ref 

 erence to these topics Dr. Biichner is a follower of 

 Mr. Darwin, especially of Mr. Darwin as amended 

 by Professor Haeckel. His book, considered on 

 its scientific merits only, and without regard to 

 its philosophic bearings, is a popular exposition 

 of the Darwinian theory as applied to the origin 

 of the human race. Regarded simply as a sci 

 entific exposition, conducted on these fundamen 

 tal principles, there is in the book little which 

 calls for criticism. Dr. Biichner has studied the 

 Darwinian theory very thoroughly, and his state 

 ments in illustration of it are for the most part 

 very accurate, showing, so far as this portion of 

 the work is concerned, the evidences of a truly 

 scientific spirit. He is as lucid, moreover, as 

 Taine or Haeckel, and nothing is wanting to one s 

 entire enjoyment of his book, save that modesty 

 in the presence of the limitless workings of nature 

 in which Dr. Biichner is far more deficient than 

 even Taine or Haeckel. 



But from the scientific point of view it is not 

 necessary for us to discuss Dr. Biichner s book, as 

 it is not an original scientific treatise, but only a 



