How I wrote " Evolution," etc. 33 



of theorising, and was incomparably the best observer " 

 Mr. Darwin ever knew.^ From the hint given in the 

 " brief but imperfect sketch," I fancy I can help Mr. 

 Darwin to see why he does not think his father's mind to 

 have been a scientific one. It is possible that Dr. Robert 

 Darwin's opinions did not fluctuate sufficiently at different 

 periods, and that Mr. Darwin considered him as having 

 in some way entered upon the causes or means of the 

 transformation of species. Certainly those who read Mr. 

 Darwin's own works attentively will find no lack of fluctua- 

 tion in his case ; and reflection will show them that a theory 

 of evolution which relies mainly on the accumulation of 

 accidental variations comes very close to not entering 

 upon the causes or means of the transformation of species.'- 



I have shown, however, in " Evolution, Old and New," 

 that the assertion that Buffon does not enter on the causes 

 or means of the transformation of species is absolutely 

 without foundation, and that, on the contrary, he is 

 continually dealing with this very matter, and devotes 

 to it one of his longest and most important chapters,^ 

 but I admit that he is less satisfactory on this head than 

 either Dr. Erasmus Darwin or Lamarck. 



As a matter of fact, Buffon is much more of a Neo- 

 Darwinian than either Dr. Erasmus Darwin or Lamarck, 

 for with him the variations are sometimes fortuitous. 

 In the case of the dog, he speaks of them as making their 

 appearance " hy some chance common enough with 

 Nature," ^ and being perpetuated by man's selection. 

 This is exactly the " if any slight favourable variation 

 happen to arise " of Mr. Charles Darwin. Buffon also 

 speaks of the variations among pigeons arising " par 

 hasard." But these expressions are only slips ; his main 

 cause of variation is the direct action of changed conditions 



^ Life of Erasmus Darwin, pp. 84, 85. 

 * See Life and Habit, p. 264 and pp. 276, 277. 

 ^ See Evolution, Old and New, pp. 159-165. 

 , * Ibid., p. 122. 



