PREMONITIONS OF BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION 121 



Lamarck, the Zoonomia of Erasmus Darwin, the Theorie 

 de la Terre of Buffon, and the Protogcea of Leibnitz. 

 Yet even then a spectator who was fully informed and 

 at the same time gifted with uncommon foresight might 

 have satisfied himself that the victory of evolution had 

 become inevitable. 



Cuvier's memorable descriptions of the extinct verte- 

 brates of the Paris basin had founded the new science 

 of Palaeontology, and though neither he nor anyone else 

 was aware of the fact, had made it possible to trace, 

 very imperfectly no doubt, the descent of a few modern 

 ungulates. Lyell's Principles of Geology (1830-3) had 

 shaken the belief in catastrophes repeatedly breaking 

 the succession of life on the earth. It w^as rapidly 

 becoming impossible to maintain that the account of 

 creation given in the book of Genesis was even approxi- 

 mately accurate. In the year 1828 Baer had almost 

 ^made up his mind that the facts of development pointed 

 to a common plan of structure, perhaps to a common 

 origin, for each of the great types of animal life.^ 

 Darwin's Journal had appeared in 1839, and though 

 the explanations which it offered were not inconsistent 

 with prevalent opinion, evolutionary suggestions were 

 introduced into the second edition of 1845. Lyell at 

 least was already aware that the voyage of the Beagle 

 had impelled Darwin to examine afresh the accepted 

 philosophy of creation. Between 1840 and 1850 faint 

 signs of coming change struck orthodox reasoners 

 with misgiving and gave increased confidence to free- 

 thinkers. A few German botanists and zoologists 

 declared against the immutability of species. The 



* Baer's expressions are so j^Tuarded that his real opinions in 

 1828 can only be surmised. He never accepted a consistent 

 theory of organic evolution. 



I 



