296 FROM THE GREEKS TO DARWIN 



passage was published by Isidore St. Hilaire the 

 Origin of Species appeared (1859) from the 

 mind and pen of Charles Darwin. Thus the last 

 stages of the decline of the main 'transmutation' 

 movement in France were coincident with its 

 sudden and final revival and establishment in 

 England. 



Naudin (1815-1899) 



Charles Victor Naudin, distinguished French 

 botanist, is the last of the French precursors of 

 Darwin. He followed Lamarck in the general 

 transmutation doctrine, although he offered quite 

 a different theory of the causes of transmutation. 



In an article entitled "Philosophical Consid- 

 erations upon Species and Varieties," in the 

 Revue Horticole (1852, p. 102), Naudin put 

 forth his views upon the origin of species, which 

 were published with some reluctance by the edi- 

 tors of that journal because of their supposed 

 heretical character, the theory of 'transmutation' 

 then being at the height of its unpopularity. 

 Quatrefages has outlined Naudin's views very 

 carefully, yet we cannot perceive with him any 

 evidence that Naudin anticipated the selection 

 theory of Darwin. 



Naudin does not speculate upon the origin of 

 life. He bases his belief in transmutation upon 

 'unity of type,' as proof, not of a preconceived 



