Progress of Botany. 45 



Lamarck in France, and Treviranus in Germany, about 

 1802 — another noticeable coincidence — suggested that the 

 present forms of life might be accounted for on the 

 principle of derivation from simpler ones. Dr. W. C. 

 Wells, in 1813, and Patrick Matthew, in 1831, asserted 

 the principle of natural selection. Goethe, the German 

 poet-philosopher, not as the result of Natural History 

 Studies, but from a comprehensive survey of the universe, 

 also believed in evolution. All the naturalists mentioned 

 above, Darwin included, found most of the illustrations 

 in support of their views in the animal kingdom, because 

 the operation of the influence of environment is more 

 easily traced and followed among animals than among 

 plants. Yet they did not exclude the vegetable kingdom 

 from the scope of their theory. 



In support of the theory they called attention to the 

 striking fact that the original form of all organisms is 

 one and the same, and that out of this one form all — the 

 lowest as well as the highest — are developed in such a 

 manner that the latter pass through the permanent forms 

 of the former as transitory stages. " From this, they 

 concluded, the presumption is that there was a period 

 when the lowest only existed. It was further noticed 

 that both in animals and plants rudimentary organs are 

 found," which appear to play no part whatever in the 

 economy of the structure, and from this the inference was 

 drawn that they are remnants of a former structure which 

 has not undergone modification because of the disuse of 

 the rudimentary organ. 



The scientific world was much divided as to the legiti- 

 macy of Darwin's conclusions at the time of their 

 promulgation — the major part being sceptical, while some 

 gave them a partial adhesion, and others suspended judg- 

 ment. All, however, admitted the singular clearness and 

 ability with which he made his points. Asa Gray was 

 cautious. He was prepared to admit that variation might 



