DARWIN. 63 



the former as one of the most important contributions to 

 modern geology, and the latter as containing new facts 

 and conclusions of first-rate interest. Finally, this chap- 

 ter of Darwin's life may be closed with the tardy award 

 of the Wollaston medal to him by the Geological Society, 

 in February, 1859, when Professor John Phillips spoke 

 of him as combining the rarest acquirements as a 

 naturalist, with the qualifications of a first-class geologist, 

 and as having by his admirable monograph on the fossil 

 Cirripedia added much to a reputation already raised to 

 the highest rank. 



Yet even such a reputation could not secure fair treat- 

 ment and impartial judgment for the coming book, the 

 subject of which might be supposed to require supreme 

 gifts of the very kind Darwin possessed. 



