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The CHAIRMAN (D. HOWARD, Esq., F.I.C.) We have to thank Mr. 

 James for his most interesting paper, which is well worthy of our 

 careful attention. (Applause.) It would appear, from the course of his 

 varied remarks, that in dealing with the whole question of evolution 

 it is, first of all, necessary that we should make up our minds as to 

 what we mean by " evolution." If we simply mean that there is in nature 

 a plan of development, we must, I think, accept that as a self-evident 

 truth. In point of fact, the word "evolution" is often used with the 

 same vagueness that is characteristic of the way in which we employ the 

 word" affinity" in chemistry in order to express the tendency to combine, 

 which is evidenced by two substances that are related as little as possible to 

 each other. In a similar way, the term " development " is frequently used to 

 express almost anything in the world except that which, grammatically or 

 logically, is meant by that word. But when we come to consider the ques- 

 tion of development, with reference to what is commonly assumed to be the 

 case namely, that the differentiations of nature have taken place by a slow 

 and gradual process continually going on at approximately the same rate, 

 investigations such as those which have been conducted by Mr. James 

 become invaluable as arguments for or against the evolution theory. The 

 whole study of botany is most fascinating, and one cannot but wish that 

 Mr. James had had time to have worked out some of the points he has 

 touched upon more fully than he has been able to do within the limits of 

 this paper. I may just allude to one feature which to me is very striking 

 in the study of botany, and that is, the amazing development of structure 

 evidenced in some of the elementary forms of plant life. A good many 

 people know a mushroom when they see it ; but how many are there who 

 know anything of the life-history of that plant 1 Its apparently simple 

 structure and spontaneous growth are familiar to all of us ; but how many 

 have the least knowledge of the elaboration of structure or the extraordinary 

 complexity of the stages of development through which it goes ? In a 

 vague kind of way, we know something about a certain object which goes by 

 the name of mushroom spawn ; but very few of us know anything of the 

 real bearings of that spawn on the developed plant, or of the different phases 

 through which it has had to pass. And, if this be true in regard to so simple 

 a form of plant life, with how much greater force does it apply to the more 

 elaborate forms? I may say, also, that the fact which Mr. James has 

 pointed out, that the extremely complex processes of reproduction 

 which are noticed in plant life at the present day are to be found 

 presenting exactly the same characteristics in the earliest forms of the great 

 divisions of the natural orders of plants, as shown in the very earliest 

 appearances they evidence in the record of the rocks, is one which it behoves 

 those who believe in the theory of regular evolution to explain, before they 

 call upon us to assume that that theory is proved. (Applause.) Here, in 

 the plant world, we have not merely the great divisions of nature just as 

 widely separated in the earliest appearances found in fossil remains as they 



