THE PERIOD OF INCUBATION 59 



perfect leisure to carry out the great destiny for which 

 the chances of the universe had singled him out. His 

 subsequent history is the history of his wonderful and 

 unique contributions to natural science. 



The first thing to be done, of course, was the ar- 

 rangement and classification of the natural history spoils 

 gathered during the cruise, and the preparation of his 

 own journal of the voyage for publication. The strict 

 scientific results of the trip were described in the 

 ' Zoology of the Voyage of the " Beagle," ' the different 

 parts of which were undertaken by rising men of 

 science of the highest distinction, under Charles 

 Darwin's own editorship. Sir Richard Owen took in 

 hand the fossil mammals ; Waterhouse arranged their 

 living allies ; Gould discussed the birds, Jenyns the 

 fish, and Bell the amphibians and reptiles. In this 

 vast co-operative publication Darwin thus obtained 

 the assistance of many among the most competent 

 specialists in the England of his day, and learned to 

 understand his own collections by the light thrown 

 upon them from the focussed lamps of the most minute 

 technical learning. As for the journal, it was origi- 

 nally published with the general account of the cruise 

 by Captain Fitzroy in 1839, but was afterwards set 

 forth in a separate form under the title of c A Natural- 

 ist's Voyage Round the World.' 



But while Darwin was thus engaged in arranging 

 and classifying the animals and plants he had brought 

 home with him, the germs of those inquiring ideas about 

 the origin of species which we have already observed 

 in his account of the voyage were quickening into fresh 

 life within him. As he ruminated at his leisure over 



