44 De \/i PJiysica 



versity m , than the University to Aristotle. 

 But with far greater justice, with literal truth, 

 we may say, that Darwin owes far more to 

 the world, than the world does to Darwin. 



Are we obliged to Darwin for the idea 

 of evolution ? Not at all. By one of those 

 freaks of historical caprice in which For- 

 tune delights, just as America immortal- 

 ises the name, not of Columbus, but of that 

 commonplace pilot, Amerigo Vespucci , so 

 the New World of evolution is christened 

 Darwinism, and by reason of the temporary 

 success of his ' Natural Selection,' Darwin 

 gets the credit of discoveries that he not 

 only never made, but did not even under- 

 stand. 



I. Evolution, properly so called : that 

 constant and universal unfolding of the po- 



m Of Paris. 



n The only thing off beaten tracks that Amerigo Vespucci 

 has a doubtful claim to have discovered is New Georgia. 

 See Karl Prickers' Antarctic Regions. 



