io Darwin, and after Darwin. 



Indeed, while re-casting this portion of my lectures 

 for the present publication, I have felt that criticism 

 might be more justly urged from the side of im- 

 patience at a reiteration of facts and arguments 

 already so well known. But while endeavouring, as 

 much as possible, to avoid overlapping the previous 

 expositions, I have not carried this attempt to the 

 extent of damaging my own, by omitting any of the 

 more important heads of evidence ; and I have sought 

 to invest the latter with some measure of novelty by 

 making good what appears to me a deficiency which 

 has hitherto obtained in the matter of pictorial illus- 

 tration. In particular, there will be found a tolerably 

 extensive series of wood-cuts, serving to represent the 

 more important products of artificial selection. These, 

 like all the other original illustrations, have been 

 drawn either direct from nature or from a comparative 

 study of the best authorities. Nevertheless, I desire 

 it to be understood that the first part of this treatise 

 is intended to retain its original character, as a merely 

 educational exposition of Darwinian teaching an 

 exposition, therefore, which, in its present form, 

 may be regarded as a compendium, or hand-book, 

 adapted to the requirements of a general reader, or 

 biological student, as distinguished from those of a 

 professed naturalist. 



The case, however, is different with the second 

 instalment, which will be published at no very distant 

 date. Here I have not followed with nearly so much 

 closeness the material of my original lectures. On 

 the contrary, I have had in view a special class of 

 readers ; and, although I have tried not altogether to 

 sacrifice the more general class, I shall desire it to be 



