i 7 4 A REMARKABLE ANTICIPATION OF 



Although Prichard's memory is much honoured, it 

 appears that in one important respect he has not hitherto 

 received his due. My friend Professor Meldola, F.R.S., 

 lately drew my attention to a section of the second 

 volume of Prichard's Researches into the Physical History 

 of Mankind* which, as he pointed out, anticipated in 

 the clearest manner the arguments which have been 

 recently advanced by Professor Weismann in favour of 

 the non-transmission of acquired characters. The deep 

 significance of the passages in question had been observed 

 by Dr. Maurice Davis, J.P., who brought them under the 

 notice of his son-in-law, Professor Meldola. 



In response to Professor Meldola's invitation to pre- 

 pare an account of this most interesting contribution 

 to the history of evolution, I read the work carefully 

 and soon found that other important ideas are anticipated 

 in it. 



Thus, Prichard apprehended with perfect clearness 

 that domesticated races of animals and plants have been 

 produced by the selection of man and not by favourable 

 surroundings, careful training or cultivation. He believed 

 in the possibility of organic evolution and supported it 

 by excellent arguments which still have the strongest 

 weight to-day. He even recognized the operation of 

 Natural Selection, although he assigned to it a subordinate 

 role.* The most important anticipation is, however, the 

 masterly discussion on the transmission of acquired 



1 and edition, 1826. 



2 Mr. Francis Darwin, F.R.S., and Professor A. C. Seward, F.R.S., 

 consider that the present essay exaggerates ' the degree to which Prichard 

 believed in evolution' (More Letters of Charles Darwin, vol. i, p. 43, 

 London, 1903), and, while admitting the tendency of passages here 

 brought forward, believe that they are entirely neutralized by other 

 passages. I had endeavoured to make it evident that this antagonism 

 exists in Prichard's writings, not only as regards the evolutionary 

 passages, but also in those dealing with the non-transmission of acquired 

 characters. My object was and is to show that certain of Prichard's 

 thoughts, as expressed in his published works, were a remarkable 

 anticipation of modern views on evolution. The historic and human 

 interest of these thoughts remain, notwithstanding the fact that they were 

 abandoned by their author in later years, and were even inconsistent with 

 other thoughts to be found in the same work. 



