200 PIONEERS OF EVOLUTION. 



fore, the Theory of Evolution, dealing with the uni- 

 verse as a whole, was formulated some months before 

 the publication of the Darwin- Wallace paper, in which 

 only organic evolution was discussed. The Origin of 

 Species, as the outcome of that paper, showed that 

 the action of natural selection is a sufficing cause for 

 the production of new life-forms, and thus knocked 

 the bottom out of the old belief in special creation. 



The general doctrine of Evolution, however, is 

 not so vitally related to that of natural selection that 

 the two stand or fall together. The evidence as to 

 the connection between the succession of past life- 

 forms which, regard being had to the well-nigh ob- 

 literated record, has been supplied by the fossil- 

 yielding rocks; and the evidence as to the unbroken 

 development of the highest plants and animals from 

 the lowest which more and more confirms the theory 

 of Von Baer; alike furnish a body of testimony plac- 

 ing the doctrine of Organic Evolution on a founda- 

 tion that can never be shaken. And, firm as that, 

 stands the doctrine of Inorganic Evolution upon the 

 support given by modern science to the speculations 

 of Immanuel Kant. 



There is the more need for laying stress on this 

 because recent discussions, revealing divided opin- 

 ions among biologists as to the sufficiency of natural 

 selection as a cause of all modifications in the struc- 

 ture of living things, lead timid or half-informed 

 minds to hope that the doctrine of Evolution may yet 

 turn out not to be true. It is in such stratum of intel- 



