42 E VOL UTION A ND D OGMA . 



as now understood. In many respects, indeed, Evo- 

 lution and abiogenesis go hand in hand and what 

 throws light on the one at the same time illuminates 

 the other, diminishing, part passu, the difficulties of 

 both, or bringing, it may be, such difficulties into 

 bolder relief. 



The doctrine that certain animals and plants 

 arise from the fortuitous concourse of atoms of inor- 

 ganic matter, or originate from decaying animal or 

 vegetable matter, that nature is capable of bringing 

 forth living bodies, 



" Qui rupto robore nati, 

 Compositive luto, nullos habuere parentes." 



is one of those errors in science that can be traced 

 back to the earliest period of scientific speculation. 

 It received the imprimatur of Aristotle, who was a 

 firm believer in spontaneous generation, and, like 

 many other errors indorsed by the famous Stagirite, it 

 was almost universally accepted as incontestable truth 

 until a few decades ago. How much this belief, by 

 engendering false notions regarding the unity and 

 relationship of the animal world, may have retarded 

 the progress of science, it is unnecessary here to in- 

 quire. Suffice it to say that the discussions to 

 which the subject gave rise from time to time had 

 no slight influence in predisposing many minds in 

 favor of the theory of Evolution, and of throwing a 

 certain light on the subject of organic development 

 that could come from no other source. 



According to Aristotle many of the lower forms 

 of animal life originate spontaneously, sometimes 



