IX THE HISTORY AND SCOPE OF ZOOLOGY 303 



fact of observation that it had taken place, nor as a 

 result of legitimate inference that it must have taken 

 place, it was quite as likely that the past and present 

 species of animals and plants had been separately 

 created or individually brought into existence by 

 unknown and inscrutable causes, and (it was held) 

 the truly scientific man would refuse to occupy 

 himself with such fancies, whilst ever continuing to 

 concern himself with the observation and record 

 of indisputable facts. The critics did well ; for the 

 " Natur-philosophen," though right in their main 

 conception, were premature. 



It was reserved for Charles Darwin, in the year 

 1859, to place the whole theory of organic evolution 

 on a new footing, and by his discovery of a mechani- 

 cal cause actually existing and demonstrable, by which 

 organic evolution must be brought about, to entirely 

 change the attitude in regard to it of even the most 

 rigid exponents of the scientific method. Since its 

 first publication in 1859 the history of Darwin's theory 

 has been one of continuous and decisive conquest, so 

 that at the present day it is universally accepted as 

 the central, all-embracing doctrine of zoological and 

 botanical science. 



Darwin succeeded in establishing the doctrine of 

 organic evolution by the introduction into the web of 

 the zoological and botanical sciences of a new science. 

 The subject-matter of this new science, or branch of 

 biological science, had been neglected : it did not 

 form part of the studies of the collector and system- 

 atist, nor was it a branch of anatomy, nor of the 



