EVOLUTION IN GENERAL 



most disturbing uncertainty as to how the Ascent 

 even of species has been brought about. The 

 attacks on the Darwinian theory from the outside 

 were never so keen as are the controversies now 

 raging in scientific circles, over the fundamental 

 principles of Darwinism itself. On at least two 

 main points — sexual selection and the origin of 

 the higher mental characteristics of man — Mr 

 Alfred Russel Wallace, co-discoverer with Darwin 

 of the principle of Natural Selection though he 

 be, directly opposes his colleague. The powerful 

 attack of Weismann on the Darwinian assump- 

 tion of the inheritability of acquired characters 

 has opened one of the liveliest controversies of 

 recent years, and the whole field of science is hot 

 with controversies and discussions. In his * Germ- 

 Plasm,' the German naturalist believes himself to 

 have finally disposed of both Darwin's " gemmules " 

 and Herbert Spencer's " primordial units," while 

 Eimer breaks a lance with Weismann in defence 

 of Darwin, and Herbert Spencer replies for him- 

 self, assuring us that " either there has been in- 

 heritance of acquired characters or there has been 

 no evolution." 



It is the greatest compliment to Darwinism 

 that it should have survived to deserve this 

 era of criticism. Meantime all prudent men can 



