MR. MIVART AND MR. DARWIN. 275 



the grand principle upon which modification has pro- 

 ceeded. Then follows a delightful volume, with facts 

 upon facts concerning animals, all showing that species 

 is due to successive small modifications accumulated 

 in the course of nature. But one cannot suppose that 

 Lamarck ever doubted this; for he can never have 

 meant to say, that a low form of life made itself into an 

 elephant at one or two great bounds ; and if he did not 

 mean this, he must have meant that it made itself into 

 an elephant through the accumulation of small succes- 

 sive modifications; these, he must have seen, were 

 capable of accumulation in the scheme of nature, though 

 he may not have dwelt on the manner in which this is 

 accomplished, inasmuch as it is obviously a matter of 

 secondary importance in comparison with the origin 

 of the variations themselves. We believe, however, 

 throughout Mr. Darwin's book, that we are being told 

 what we expected to be told ; and so convinced are we, 

 by the facts adduced, that in some way or other evolu- 

 tion must be true, and so grateful are we for being 

 allowed to think this, that we put down the volume 

 without perceiving that, whereas Lamarck did adduce a 

 great and general cause of variation, the insufficiency 

 of which, in spite of errors of detail, has yet to be 

 shown, Mr. Darwin's main cause of variation resolves 

 itself into a confession of ignorance. 



This, however, should detract but little from our 

 admiration for Mr. Darwin's achievement. Any 

 one can make people see a thing if he puts it in the 

 right way, but Mr. Darwin made us see evolution, in 

 spite of his having put it, in what seems to not a few, 



