DARWINISM AND VIVISECTION 221 



by variation in those lower species in the scale of 

 creation in which there is no trace whatever of any 

 such organ ? ... As the condition of the world is 

 constantly varying, should not variations of species 

 be seen taking place in these times, as in all others, 

 with definite regularity, if the first primordial form 

 contained within itself the elements of perpetual 

 change for adaptation to such varying condition ? 



" Is the use of such expressions as ' natural selec- 

 tion,' ' modification of form,' ' acclimatisation/ 'use 

 and disuse/ 'the law of variation/ 'divergence of 

 character/ 'correlation of growth/ 'compensation/ 

 and ' economy of growth/ or ' the imperfection of the 

 geological record/ a sufficient substitute for proof 

 of the assertions that a flying fish might be con- 

 verted into a bird, a flying squirrel into a bat, a 

 lobster into an eagle, or a bear, 'swimming about 

 with its mouth open to catch flies/ become in pro- 

 cess of time ' very like a whale ' ? " 



Of Darwin's two books the one on " The Origin 

 of Species by Natural Selection," the other on 

 " Variation of Species " Mr. Morris did not hesi- 

 tate, after a careful perusal of them, to assert : " I 

 should have said that a more inconclusive, illogical 

 book than the former I had never read, and that I 

 should suppose there could scarcely be one more 

 so ; but if I had said so it would only have been 

 an instance and illustration of the truth of the old 

 saying that it is unwise to advance too hastily to a 

 conclusion, for I had not then seen his second work 

 on the 'Variation of Animals and Plants.' I ask 



