II 



THE TRUE DARWINISM OR THE NATURAL LAW OF 



ADAPTATION 



Before entering on this important matter I must beg the 

 reader to dissociate my name altogether from what I here call 

 the " True Darwinism ". I have been so often credited with 

 the theory of " Evolution by means of direct adaptation to the 

 environment," that I wish here to insist upon the fact that 

 it is not I but Darwin who is the original author of it. 



In studying his books many years ago it seemed to me 

 that it was more probably the true interpretation of Evolution 

 than by means of Natural Selection. I therefore looked out for, 

 and collected, all the evidence I could find among published 

 writings, as well as made my own observations and experiments. 

 It soon became apparent that proofs of "direct action," as 

 Darwin calls it, were not only " plentiful," as he had discovered 

 by 1876, but utiiversal. 



It was not, however, till long afterwards that were published 

 my two volumes in the International Scientific Series^ as well 

 as several papers in the Journal of the Linnean Society and in 

 Natural Science, etc. 



No serious attempt has ever been made to refute this view, 

 excepting one by Dr. Wallace in Natural Science, but more 

 than one who did me the honour to read my " Reply " remarked 

 that it was " crushing ".^ 



In 1876 Darwin came to regard his neglect of this alterna- 

 tive as his "greatest mistake ". Those significant words satisfy 



'^e.g., Dr. St. G. Mivart. 

 II (161) 



