vi PREFACE 



represented him as accepting a com- 

 paratively short period for the duration 

 of the living world whereas he merely 

 argued that even assuming the shorter 

 period, it might be quite long enough 

 for the evolutions of Biology. I quite 

 understood this, and have altered a few 

 words to make the meaning clearer. 

 In my reasoning, and in his former 

 reasoning, everything turns not on the 

 actual time, but on the supposed neces- 

 sity for some enormous time. This is 

 abandoned in Mr. Spencer's new argu- 

 ment, and the change is one having all 

 the significance that I attach to it. 



ARGYLL. 



