a;icti 



THE DARWIN CENTENARY. [April 23, 



are differences of opinion as to the affinities in certain cases. It is 

 of course a matter of discriminating judgment. 



The " Origin of Species " invaded at once new fields of research 

 and stimulated investigation in all the territory around the domain 

 of natural science; it has proposed new problems but it has held 

 out the key to solve them. We should be untrue admirers of 

 Darwin if we should forget that he regarded his suggestion as not 

 universally applicable. At least in some parts of the subject of 

 palaeontology, as we have already remarked, one of the suggestions 

 made by his predecessor Lamarck appears to be more satisfactory, 

 because it brings out clearly two points of importance, response to 

 surroundings and inheritance of acquired characters. From lack 

 of time Darwin was unable always to measure precisely the exact 

 degree of variation in the cases before him, but he often used rough 

 and ready methods. Let us realize, however, that from these crude 

 methods has sprung up a new science, biometry, which is engaged 

 in investigating and measuring the most minute variations. It is 

 characterized by the extreme of exactness. 



When we look over the constantly lengthening list of works 

 inspired by Darwin's genius, and gathered together under the head- 

 ing Darwinian bibliography, we can appreciate the greatness of 

 the service rendered by him in freeing science from the shackles 

 of the dogma of constancy of species. In order to render this 

 voluminous Darwinian literature readily available, it is divided into 

 many separate groups, such as relations of flowers to insects, climb- 

 ing plants and so on, and each of these groups is divided again, and 

 many of them lead down or up to practical applications. Perhaps 

 the most enticing of all the new fields thrown open to investigation 

 by discarding the dogma, is that of purposeful breeding of plants 

 and animals. In this great domain of research there are many 

 workers, a few of whom, it is not ungracious to call somewhat 

 ungrateful. Some of these ungrateful students indulge now and 

 then in unfriendly criticism of particular views as to heredity 

 assumed to have been held by Darwin. Such critics forget that if 

 it were not for the help given by Darwin's search-light they would 

 now be groping in darkness. Breeding to points, as it is called, 

 deals with varieties under cultivation and domestication. 



