338 FROM THE GREEKS TO DARWIN 



win's standpoint was different from either; by 

 *ehance variations' he refers to those occurring 

 under unknown laws, not under the 'blind for- 

 tuity' of Empedocles, nor under the 'progressive 

 principle' of Aristotle. He found no evidence for 

 an internal perfecting principle. In connection 

 with the first edition of the Origin he wrote :^ 



The so-called improvement of our Short-horn 

 cattle, pigeons, etc., does not presuppose or require 

 any aboriginal "power of adaptation," or "principle 

 of improvement." ... If I have a second edition, I 

 will reiterate "Natural Selection," and, as a general 

 consequence, "Natural Improvement." 



He mistakenly attributed to Lamarck the view 

 held by the author of the Vestiges, when he dis- 

 avowed holding "the Lamarckian or Vestigian 

 doctrine of 'necessary progression,' that is, of 

 progression independent of conditions." This is 

 further shown in his correspondence^ concerning 

 Nageli;^ "I am, however, far from agreeing with 

 him that the acquisition of certain characters 

 which appear to be of no service to plants, offers 



iLetter to Lyell, Oct. 25, 1859. 



^Life and Letters. Letter to Victor Carus, Nov. 10, 1866. 



SNageli, a distinguished German botanist, believed that he 

 found in his studies of the Evolution of plants proofs of the ex- 

 istence of an internal perfecting principle in life, by which, inde- 

 pendently of all outside agencies, the Plant Kingdom is constantly 

 tending to a higher degree of perfection. These views were pub- 

 lished in 1865. Somewhat similar views have been advanced by 

 Baer, Kolliker, and others. 



