PREFACE 



During several years' experience of lecturing on 

 Evolution I have been more and more impressed with 

 the need of a new primer of the subject. The lecturer 

 or writer on Evolution is too apt to think that the ele- 

 mentary stage is passed. This is a mistake. The 

 field of science is now so large and so thoroughly cut 

 up into distinct plots that a man or woman may have 

 quite a good knowledge of one section, yet need ele- 

 mentary assistance on a general subject like Evolu- 

 tion. The man who could teach me much about 

 wireless telegraphy or chemistry asks me for the plain- 

 est possible instruction on Evolution. Moreover, 

 there are other things to study besides science. There 

 are art, literature, history, and political economy. And 

 for most people there is much work to do, and little 

 time to study anything. 



Hence I quite understand the demand for a very 

 clear, elementary, and short text-book. There are 

 several manuals in existence, and they have their 

 merits ; but they fail in one or other respect to meet 

 the particular need I have in mind. Some are a little 

 out of date. Some are too large. Some are not 

 general enough. There is a large section of the public 



iii 



