EARLY PARODIES OF DARWINISM 103 



I remember once seeing a picture in Punch, repre- 

 senting the evolution of the power of flight by the 

 human species. It represented a man standing upon 

 the roof of a house and waving his hands, which, in 

 consequence of the use to which they were put during 

 his individual life, grew somewhat in size. Passing 

 down to the next generation, his son was found waving 

 rather larger hands, and the waving made them still 

 larger. In the course of generations the descendants 

 acquired large wings and flew down from the roof of 

 the house. That was supposed to be a parody on 

 evolution according to Darwin. I have called it a skit, 

 but you will see at once that you cannot get a better 

 illustration of Lamarckism. It is Lamarckism. It is 

 not making fun of it ; it is a description of the process 

 itself. 



Then Lord Neaves wrote a song [May, 186 1] in which he 

 attempted to make great fun of Darwin's theory. It was 

 a very long song, many verses of which were skits upon 

 Lamarck, while supposed to be skits upon Darwin. 



A deer with a neck that was longer by half 

 Than the rest of its family's (try not to laugh), 

 By stretching and stretching, became a Giraffe, 

 Which nobody can deny. 



This is pure Lamarckism. The evolution was supposed 

 to be caused by stretching without any selection at all. 



The best example of all, however, is given by Mr. Court- 

 hope, in his Paradise of Birds [1870]. I commend his 

 account of the evolution of birds and mammals to those who 

 believe the Lamarckian Theory. He tells us there about 

 the Ornithorhynchus, which he praises as a very prudent 

 beast : — 



For he saw in the distance the strife for existence, 



That must his grandchildren betide. 

 And resolved, as he could, for their ultimate good, 



A remedy sure to provide. 

 With that, to prepare each descendant and heir 



For a different diet and clime, 

 He laid, as a test, four eggs in his nest — 



But he only laid two at a time. 



