7 6 THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCES OF 



nation ; every species is for itself, and for itself 

 alone — an outcome of the always and everywhere 

 fiercely raging struggle for life. 



Such, then, is a sketch of the evidence in 

 favour of organic evolution. Of course in such 

 a meagre outline it has not been possible to do 

 justice to that evidence, which should be studied 

 in detail rather than looked at in such a bird's- 

 eye view as I have presented. Nevertheless, 

 enough, I hope, has been said to convince all 

 reasonable persons, that any longer to with- 

 hold assent from so vast a body of evidence 

 is a token, not of intellectual prudence, but of 

 intellectual incapacity. With Professor Huxley, 

 therefore, I exclaim, — " Choose your hypothesis ; 

 I have chosen mine," and " I refuse to run the 

 risk of insulting any sane man by supposing 

 that he seriously holds such a notion " as that 

 of special creation. These words, I submit, are 

 not in the least too strong ; for if any man 



