"QTANDS Darwinism where it did?" is the question 

 Basked of himself by Professor tfellog in his work 

 Darwinism To-day (London: George Bell & Sons. 1907* 

 Price ys. 6d. net). In making reply to this question he 

 details, with great erudition, the various criticisms, attacks 

 and new theories whether rebutting, supporting or sup- 

 planting which have clustered round the Darwinian theory 

 since it was formulated. The author's knowledge of his 

 subject is extensive, even encyclopaedic and as a result of 

 his labours he has produced a work which will be of the 

 greatest value to all desirous of studying the present posi- 

 tion of the Darwinian theories, which, as he very carefully 

 points out, do not really involve the main thesis of trans- 

 formism in any way. Especially useful are the excellent 

 appendixes to each chapter in which the literature of the 

 subject-matter of that chapter is surveyed and abstracted 

 and many useful contributions to knowledge which have 

 appeared in publications not always easily accessible to 

 English readers are summarized and made available. As one 

 looks through these one cannot but be struck, however, 

 with the rapidity with which the situation changes as new 

 fads come to knowledge. For example: Professor Vellog 

 holds that de Vries' observations on Qeflfcbfita Lamarcltfana 

 are practically unchallengeable, yet, no doubt, since this 

 book was written further observations on this point pub- 

 lished in the Journal of Botany have thrown the gravest 

 doubt upon them. But to return to the point under con- 

 sideration, what is the actual position of Darwinism to-day? 

 Some hold that it is on its deathbed (p. i) ; another, and 

 this a real luminaryof science (D^gsjch) writes : " Darwinism 

 now belongs to history, like lhat other curiosity of our 

 century, the Hegelian philosophy; both are variations on the 

 theme: ]IQW one manages to lead a whole generation by 

 the nose ^p. 6). On the other hand Lankester at York, in 

 1 906, proclaimed his belief " that the conclusions of Darwin 

 as to the origin of species by the survival of selected 

 races in the struggle for existence are more firmly estab- 

 lished than ever" (p. 389). 



Where such doctors differ and differ so fundamentally 

 it is difficult for lesser mortals to form a judgement, and 

 Professor Vellog steers a middle course. He admits that 

 "the discrediting of the sexual selection theory^SS an ex- 

 planation of Secondary Sexual Characters " is certainly nearly 

 complete" (p. 352), and he couples with it that other theory 

 of the pangenesis ofgenQiules, both of which are "nearly 

 wholly discredited tneorfes" (p. 3). 



And with regard to the great theory of Natural Selection 

 he admits that "the fair truth is that the Darwinian selec- 

 tion theories, considered with regard to their claimed capa- 



