EDITOES' PREFACE. 



THE attention of English biologists and men of science was 

 first called to Professor Weismann's essays by an article entitled 

 'Death' in 'The Nineteenth Century' for May, 1885, by Mr. 

 A. E. Shipley. Since then the interest in the author's argu- 

 ments and conclusions has become very general ; having been 

 especially increased by Professor Moseley's two articles in 

 'Nature' (Vol. XXXIII, p. 154, and Vol. XXXIV, p. 629), and 

 by the discussion upon 'The Transmission of Acquired Cha- 

 racters,' introduced by Professor Lankester at the meeting of 

 the British Association at Manchester in 1887, a discussion in 

 which Professor Weismann himself took part. The deep interest 

 which has everywhere been expressed in a subject which con- 

 cerns the very foundations of evolution, has encouraged the 

 Editors to hope that a volume containing a collection of all 

 Professor Weismann's essays upon heredity and kindred problems 

 would supply a real want. At the present time, when scientific 

 periodicals contain frequent references to these essays, and when 

 the various issues which have been raised by them are dis- 

 cussed on every occasion at which biologists come together, it 

 is above all things necessary to know exactly what the author 

 himself has said. And there are many signs that discussion has 

 already suffered for want of this knowledge. 



A translation of Essays I and II was commenced by Mr. A. E. 

 Shipley during his residence at Freiburg in the winter of 1884. 

 His work was greatly aided by the kind assistance of Dr. van 

 Rees of Amsterdam, to whom we desire to express our most 

 sincere thanks. The translation was laid aside until the 

 summer of 1888, when Mr. Shipley was invited to co-operate 



