12 EVOLUTION OF TO-DAY. 



with the one that is still held at the present day by 

 many American naturalists. He not only believed 

 in the origin of species from each other, but he gave 

 an explanation of his theory. And the explanation 

 which he gave is accepted to-day by many natural- 

 ists as being nearer to the truth than that of Darwin. 

 But Lamarck was ahead of his age, and the world 

 was not ready for his views. He had, moreover, the 

 great authority of Cuvier against him, and the 

 weight of Cuvier's name soon caused Lamarck and 

 his evolution to sink into oblivion, to reappear oc- 

 casionally at fitful periods as the next half century 

 passed. In 1859 the publication of Darwin's " Ori- 

 gin of Species " brought the old view once more into 

 prominence under a new light. For twenty years 

 Darwin had been patiently investigating the theory 

 before he published a word, and when he did appeal 

 to the world he not only could give very strong 

 arguments for accepting the general theory of evo- 

 lution, but he offered at the same time an extremely 

 simple and comprehensive explanation. A consid- 

 eration of this explanation we must defer ; but so 

 strong were Darwin's arguments, and so skilfully 

 were they handled, that the scientific world began 

 immediately to discuss the question. Not a little 

 of Darwin's influence was due to the great candor 

 of his discussion and the readiness with which he 

 acknowledged the difficulties which he could not 

 meet. From that time evolution has been con- 

 stantly before the world. Not only has much evi- 

 dence been collected in the endeavor to prove or 

 disprove evolution, but the explanation offered by 



