PKEFACE 



THE first of these essays was delivered at Hobart on 

 the 8th January, 1902, as the inaugural address to 

 the Australasian Association for the Advancement of 

 Science. As it was not possible to give in that 

 address any adequate account of the facts of biological 

 evolution, I have added the second essay, which deals 

 entirely with that subject. Of this essay, the first 

 part, on " Early Life on the Earth," formed the 

 President's address to the Geological Section of the 

 same Association at its meeting in Sydney in January, 

 1898 ; but it has been corrected and brought up to 

 date. The second part, on " Later Life on the Earth," 

 appears for the first time. 



This little book, taken together with a former 

 volume on " Darwinism and Lamarckism," gives an 

 account of what is known about the theory of 

 evolution, sufficiently complete, I hope, to inculcate 

 the lesson we learn from a study of nature, a lesson 

 which all should know and think over for themselves. 



F. W. H. 



CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND, 

 January 1902. 





