PREFACE 



THE discourse on "Evolution and Ethics," re 

 printed in the first half of the present volume, was 

 delivered before the University of Oxford, as the 

 second of the annual lectures founded by Mr. 

 Romanes : whose name I may not write without 

 deploring the untimely death, in the flower of his 

 age, of a friend endeared to me, as to so many 

 others, by his kindly nature ; and justly valued by 

 all his colleagues for his powers of investigation 

 and his zeal for the advancement of knowledge. 

 I well remember, when Mr. Romanes' early work 

 came into my hands, as one of the secretaries 

 of the Royal Society, how much I rejoiced in 

 the accession to the ranks of the little army of 

 workers in science of a recruit so well qualified 

 to take a high place among us. 



It was at my friend's urgent request that I 

 agreed to undertake the lecture, should I be 

 honoured with an official proposal to give it, though 

 I confess not without misgivings, if only on 



