THE DOCTRINE OF PROGRESSIVE 

 DEVELOPMENT. 



THE 'VESTIGES OF CREATION.' 



BEFORE proceeding to give a sketch of the theory of 

 'Natural Selection,' as propounded by Charles Darwin, 

 a brief consideration may be fitly given to the celebrated 

 work entitled the 'Vestiges of Creation.' This well- 

 known treatise was first published in 1844, and the 

 tenth edition appeared in 1853, a sufficient proof of 

 the wide popularity which it enjoyed. Its author- 

 ship was never acknowledged during the lifetime of 

 its writer, and it was ascribed to various distinguished 

 persons, with the most varied qualifications for the 

 writing of such a work. Amongst others, Robert 

 Chambers was selected as the author of the 'Vestiges,' 

 and in this instance, as now" openly acknowledged, the 

 surmise was correct* As, however, the work was an 

 anonymous one, the personality of the writer may well 



* A twelfth edition of the 'Vestiges' was published in 1884 (W. & R. Chambers), 

 containing a preface by Mr Alexander Ireland, in which the facts relating to the 

 authorship are given in detail. 



