212 E VOL UTION OF TO-DA Y. 



of the laws governing living things, and at first 

 sight there seemed to be no limit to its action, 

 which seemed to lead directly to evolution. Dar- 

 win obtained at once prominent followers, who ac- 

 cepted his theories. Much opposition was, of course, 

 aroused among those who, for various reasons, did 

 not wish to give up the idea of the miraculous in the 

 special creation of species. Among scientists, how- 

 ever, it was at first thought that the true explanation 

 had been found. But before a great while objections 

 began to appear from the world of science, which 

 indicated that natural selection was not so complete 

 an explanation as it at first seemed. These objec- 

 tions have, with further study, increased rather than 

 diminished, until their accumulated weight has led 

 all but two or three scientists to acknowledge the 

 insufficiency of Darwinism. Indeed, Darwin him- 

 self did not claim to have found a complete expla- 

 nation, and recognized the difficulties of his theory 

 even more forcibly than did some of his followers. 

 In his later works he did not hesitate to acknowl- 

 edge that he had at first overrated its effects, al- 

 though he still held it to be the most important 

 law regulating the modification of animals and the 

 development of species. To-day most naturalists, 

 while acknowledging that natural selection is an 

 important factor, would give it a secondary posi- 

 tion, or at least modify it greatly before accepting 

 it. We will now consider the chief reasons which 

 have led to this conclusion. 



