EDITORS' PREFACE TO FIRST 



EDITION. 



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The attention of English biologists and men of science 

 was first called to Professor Weismann's essaj^s by an article 

 entitled ' Death ' in ' The Nineteenth Century ' for May, 1885, 

 by Mr. A. E. Shipley. Since then the interest in the author's 

 arguments and conclusions has become very general ; having 

 been especially increased by Professor Moseley's two articles 

 in 'Nature' (Vol. XXXIII, p. 154, and Voh XXXIV, p. 629), 

 and by the discussion upon ' The Transmission of Acquired 

 Characters,' introduced by Professor Lankester at the meeting 

 of the British Association at Manchester in 1887,— a discussion 

 in which Professor Weismann himself took part. The deep 

 interest which has everywhere been expressed in a subject 

 which concerns the very foundations of evolution, has en- 

 couraged the Editors to hope that a volume containing a col- 

 lection of all Professor Weismann's essays upon heredity and 

 kindred problems would supply a real want. At the present 

 time, when scientific periodicals contain frequent references 

 to these essays, and when the various issues which have been 

 raised by them are discussed on every occasion at which 

 biologists come together, it is above all things necessary to 

 know exactly what the author himself has said. And there 

 are many signs that discussion has already suffered for want 

 of this knowledge. 



A translation of Essays I and II was commenced by Mr. A. 

 E. Shipley during his residence at Freiburg in the winter of 

 1884. His work was greatly aided by the kind assistance of 



