E. DARWIN AND LAMARCK. 15 5 



general theory upon the origin of life and upon its modes of mani- 

 festation, upon the origin of the faculties, upon the variations and 

 phenomena of organization of different animals, — a theory con- 

 sistent in its principles and applicable to all cases. // is the first, 

 so it seems to me, which has been presented, the only t/ieory, there- 

 fore, which exists, because I do not know any work which offers 

 another theory based upon such a large number of principles and 

 considerations. This theory of mine recognizes in Nature the 

 power to produce some result, in fact, all the results we see. Is 

 it well established? Certainly, it seems to me so; and all my 

 observations tend to confirm it. Otherwise I would not publish 

 it. It rests with those who do not accept it to substitute another, 

 with equally wide apphcation, or with a still wider application to 

 the facts. But this I hardly believe to be possible." 



Upon this sentence it seems that we have satis- 

 factory evidence that Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck 

 independently evolved their views, and this is further 

 confirmed by a careful reading of Lamarck's first 

 exposition of his theory in his work of 1802. This 

 has very little similarity with Darwin's form of 

 statement or language, although it embodies essen- 

 tially the same theory. To Huxley's rather pointed 

 question : " It would be interesting to know what 

 was the occasion of Lamarck's change of view 

 between 1779 and 1802.''" — we may answer that 

 this change was probably due to the change of his 

 studies from Botany to Zoology, for it was upon 

 animal life that his theory was developed. 



