XCVl PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



Darwin published his volume on the fertilization of Orchids, and 

 his papers on dimorphic and trimorphic plants in our journal, a re- 

 gret was expressed that he was delaying the completion of his great 

 work by investigations not directly connected with it ; but now that 

 a portion of that great work has at length appeared, it becomes clear 

 what important clues these phenomena afford to the solution of 

 various obscure points in the history of races ; and the great pre- 

 valence of dichogamy and dimorphism is now fully confirmed by 

 numerous observers whom Darwin's works have called forth. These 

 and other observations in confirmation of, or in apparent contradic- 

 tion to his own, have been so well collected and discussed by Mr. 

 Darwin himself that I need not further dwell upon them, but shall 

 proceed in the attempt to point out shortly what the present work 

 on the Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication has 

 effected towards the proof and advancement of the general question. 

 The first great fact to establish as the main foundation of the 

 whole fabric was the extent of variability in animals and plants — • 

 that is, that the offspring are liable to differ from the parent in any 

 and every character, even in those which are usually reckoned of 

 generic importance, and the transmissibility of these variations to 

 subsequent generations ; and the greater part of the first volume is 

 devoted to the exposition and discussion of the evidences in support 

 of these propositions, going through the whole range of domesticated 

 animals and plants. The summaries of these chapters, excellent as 

 they are, give but a very inadequate idea of the richness of their 

 contents. Duly to appreciate the authority and bearing of the nu- 

 merous and varied facts here collected and methodized, every word 

 must be read and every page must be studied ; for Mr. Darwin never 

 indulges in the empty verbiage so characteristic of certain French 

 and Italian writers on general biology, nor yet in the dogmatism of 

 the Germans. And this portion of his work being essentially a col- 

 lection of evidences, he refrains from all figurative illustrations. The 

 only metaphor, indeed, which I have observed in the two volumes is 

 that of the selection by the architect of the fragments of the fallen 

 rock suited to his purpose, in illustration of selection by man of 

 variations applicable to uses for which they were not intentionally 

 produced ; and even this metaphor, appropriate as it may be, had 

 better, perhaps, have been dispensed with ; for the comparison of 

 objects which are not pari genere is very liable to be carried out 

 beyond the limits of strict analogy, and then to mislead rather than 

 elucidate. 



