64 ANDREW JACKSON HOWE. 



and principles of Lamarck, and follow his general 

 course of reasoning in regard to the evolution of our 

 planet and the vital objects that are upon it. The 

 doctrine of Evolution, so far as it pertains to the in- 

 organic world, is more Lamarckian than Darwinian. 

 The peculiar cosmic views entertained by the anony- 

 mous author of The Vestiges of the Natural History of 

 Creation, are substantially the same as those advocated 

 by Lamarck, and later by Darwin. The chief differ- 

 ence consists in the more methodical manner of treat- 

 ing vital problems that is characteristic of Darwin, 



The doctrine of Evolution, as applied to biology, 

 has been strengthened from time to time by Huxley, 

 Hseckel, and other profound scientists, yet the name 

 of Darwin will be forever associated with the famous 

 theme that has so long engaged the attention of 

 scientific men. And from the amount of discussion 

 at present devoted to vital operations, past and pres- 

 ent, the topic seems as captivating as ever. 



Lamarck held that the inanimate matter of the 

 universe embraces forces that have a reciprocal rela- 

 tion with the activities or functions of organic struct- 

 ures ; he looked upon the attributes of the physical 

 world as correlative with those that give life and form 

 to plants and animals. In other words, he was an 

 avowed materialist, declaring that the present state of 

 the earth was evolved from nebular masses, and moved 

 by impulses inherent in solar systems and sidereal 

 bodies. He argued that the earth's surface was di- 

 versified through necessity, and that the earth's inhab- 

 itants were a sequence in the great chain of cosmic 

 operations. Life was spontaneously generated, or the 

 outcome of chemical, magnetic, and other forces in- 

 alienable from planetary activities. He claimed that 



