32 Unconscious Memory 



tion, when lie was doing all lie knew to maintain that 

 Buffon's conclusions did not fluctuate ; for I see that in 

 the edition of 1876 the word " fluctuating " has dropped 

 out of the note in question, and we now learn that Isidore 

 Geoffroy gives " a full account of Buffon's conclusions," 

 without the " fluctuating." But Buffon has not taken 

 much by this, for his opinions are still left fluctuating 

 greatly at different periods on the preceding page, and 

 though he still was the first to treat evolution in a scientific 

 spirit, he still does not enter upon the causes or means of 

 the transformation of species. No one can understand Mr. 

 Darwin who does not collate the different editions of the 

 " Origin of Species " with some attention. When he has 

 done this, he will know \\hat Newton meant by saying 

 he felt like a child playing with pebbles upon the seashore. 



One word more upon this note before I leave it. Mr. 

 Darwin speaks of Isidore Geoffroy's history of opinion as 

 " excellent," and his account of Buffon's opinions as 

 " full." I wonder how well qualified he is to be a judge 

 of these matters ? If he knows much about the earUer 

 writers, he is the more inexcusable for having said so 

 little about them. If httle, what is his opinion worth ? 



To return to the " brief but imperfect sketch." I do 

 not think I can ever again be surprised at an^'thing Mr. 

 Darwin may say or do, but if I could, I should wonder how 

 a writer who did not " enter upon the causes or means of 

 the transformation of species," and whose opinions 

 " fluctuated greatly at different periods," can be held to 

 have treated evolution " in a scientific spirit," Neverthe- 

 less, when I reflect upon the scientific reputation Mr. 

 Darwin has attained, and the means by which he has won 

 it, I suppose the scientific spirit must be much what he 

 here implies. I see Mr. Darwin says of his own father, 

 Dr. Robert Darwin of Shrewsbury, that he does not 

 consider him to have had a scientific mind. Mr. Darwin 

 cannot tell why he does not think his father's mind to 

 have been fitted for advancing science, " for he Mas fond 



