34 Unconscious Memory 



of existence, while with Dr. Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck 

 the action of the conditions of existence is indirect, the 

 direct action being that of the animals or plants themselves, 

 in consequence of changed sense of need under changed 

 conditions. 



I should say that the sketch so often referred to is at 

 first sight now no longer imperfect in Mr. Darwin's opinion. 

 It was " brief but imperfect " in 1861 and in 1866, but in 

 1876 I see that it is brief only. Of course, discovering that 

 it was no longer imperfect, I expected to find it briefer. 

 What, then, was my surprise at finding that it had become 

 rather longer ? I have found no perfectly satisfactory 

 explanation of this inconsistency, but, on the whole, 

 incline to think that the " greatest of living men " felt him- 

 self unequal to prolonging his struggle with the word " but," 

 and resolved to lay that conjunction at all hazards, even 

 though the doing so might cost him the balance of his 

 adjectives ; for I think he must know that his sketch is 

 still imperfect. 



From Isidore Geoffroy I turned to Buffon himself, and 

 had not long to wait before I felt that I was now brought 

 into communication with the master-mind of all those 

 who have up to the present time busied themselves 

 with evolution. For a brief and imperfect sketch of 

 him, I must refer my readers to " Evolution, Old and 

 New." 



I have no great respect for the author of the " Vestiges 

 of Creation," who behaved hardly better to the writers 

 upon whom his o\vn work was founded than Mr. Darwin 

 himself has done. Nevertheless, I could not forget the 

 gravity of the misrepresentation with which he was 

 assailed on page 3 of the first edition of the " Origin of 

 Species," nor impugn the justice of his rejoinder in the 

 following year,^ when he replied that it was to be regretted 

 Mr. Darwin had read his work " almost as much amiss as 

 if, like its declared opponents, he had an interest in mis- 



^ See Evolution, Old and New, pp. 247, 248. 



