20 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS 



ON THE QUESTION OF THE ORIGIN OF VARIATION 

 IN SPECIES. 



Read before the Haiiiiltott Association, December, iSSg. 

 BY J. ALSTON MOFFAT. 



Neither nature nor science has given us any certain information 

 about the origin of species. 



Geologists have found satisfactory evidence that man is one of 

 the very latest species introduced into this scene of life ; therefore, 

 he is not in a position to know anything personally about the intro- 

 duction of the others. 



The geological record affords us abundant illustrations of varia- 

 tion, but its species as made by its authorities are artificial to the 

 last degree, therefore quite uncertain. 



Variation in existing species is even now going on, and by 

 close observation we may see its progress in nature, whilst man can 

 take hold of some species and vary them almost at his will. No 

 doubt man has by his intelligent control produced varieties that 

 probably never has, and probably never will appear in nature ; but 

 the possibility must have been there or he could never have brought 

 them out, 



Spontaneous variation is as contrary to the laws of nature as 

 spontaneous generation. Every effect in nature must have its 

 originating cause. A variety appearing ever so suddenly is not a 

 proof of spontaneity, but of a favorable opportunity for it to mani- 

 fest itself; the possibility had been there, and it may have been 

 gathering force for a hundred generations, and just then got suf- 

 ficient power to assert its right to be seen ; or it may have been 

 lying dormant awaiting a combination of favorable circumstances to 

 call it into action. 



Man originates nothing ; what he does is to seize on a point 

 when it appears — concentrate, consolidate and exaggerate it. Now 

 \l we could discover how these possibilities and liabilities to vary 



