IN MEMORIAM: CHARLES DARWIN 



ever current respecting the subject that deserved 

 to be called a scientific hypothesis. That the 

 more complex forms of life must have come into 

 existence through some process of development 

 from simpler forms was no doubt the only sensi- 

 ble and rational view to take of the subject; but 

 in a vague and general opinion of this sort there 

 is nothing that is properly scientific. A scientific 

 hypothesis must connect the phenomena with 

 which it deals by alleging a " true cause ; " and 

 before 1 859 no one had suggested a " true cause " 

 for the origination of new species, although the 

 problem was one over which every philosophical 

 naturalist had puzzled since the beginning of the 

 century. This explains why Mr. Darwin's suc- 

 cess was so rapid and complete, and it also ex- 

 plains why he came so near being anticipated. 

 His long delay, however, in bringing forward his 

 theory had one good result. The work was so 

 thoroughly done that, although Darwinism has 

 now for twenty-three years been one of the chief 

 subjects of popular discussion in all the civilized 

 countries of the world, no one as yet seems to 

 have discovered any argument against the theory 

 of natural selection which Mr. Darwin had not 

 himself already foreseen and considered in the 

 first edition of the " Origin of Species." 



After an interval of twelve years Mr. Darwin 

 followed up the first announcement of his gen- 

 eral theory with his treatise on the " Descent of 

 333 



