RISE OF EVOLUTIOXARY THOUGHT 4^5 



reco^T^nizc that the time was not ripe for the acceptance of 

 such truths; and, finally, that there was no great principle 

 enunciated by Lamarck which could be readil}- understood 

 as there was in Darwin's book on the doctrine of natural 

 selection. 



The tem]:)orary disappearance of the doctrine of or<^anic 

 evolution which occurred after Lamarck exjjounded his theory 

 was also owing to the reaction against the speculations of 

 the school of N atur-Philosophic. The extravagant specula- 

 tion of Oken and tlie other representatives of this school 

 completely disgusted men \\\\o were engaged in research by 

 observation and ex])eriment. The reaction against that 

 school was so strong that it was difhcult to get a hearing for 

 any theoretical speculation; l)ut Cu\-ier's inlkience must be 

 looked upon as the chief one in causing disregard for La- 

 marck's writings. 



The work of Cuvier has been already considered in con- 

 nection both with comparative anatomy and zoology, but 

 a few points must still be held under consideration. Cuvier 

 brought forward the idea of catastro])hism in order to explain 

 the disappearance of the groups of fossil animals. He be- 

 lieved in the doctrine of spontaneous generation. He held 

 to the doctrine of ]jre-delineation, so that it must be admitted 

 that whenever he forsook observation for s])eculation he 

 was singularly unhappy, and it is undeniable that his ])osi- 

 tion of hostility in reference to the speculation of Lamarck 

 retarded the progress of science for nearly half a century. 



Cuvier and Saint-Hilaire. — In 1830 there occurred a 

 memorable controversy between (\ivier and SaintTIilaire. 

 The latter (Fig. 118) was in early life closely associated with 

 Lamarck, and shared his \iews in reference to tlie ()rigin of 

 animals and ]^lants; though in certain ])oints Saint-Hilaire 

 was more a follower of Huffon than of Lamarck. Strangely 

 enough, Saint-Hilaire was regarded as the stronger man of 



