36 
AN NABS NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
The “Origin of Species” was published in London late in November, 
1859. The following month, Asa Gray, long intimately acquainted with 
Darwin, and anxious that Americans should see promptly the significance 
of the new theory, wrote for Silliman’s Journal a review of the book, before 
a single copy of the “Origin” had reached this country. He predicted 
that the work would produce great discussion — it did. A copy arrived, 
it was carefully reviewed, but before the review could be gotten through the 
press, a second edition was announced, and within three months two Ameri¬ 
can editions were advertised. 
Gray gave his first review in December. In January, Professors Agassiz, 
Parsons and Rogers are recorded as having discussed the “Origin and 
Distribution of Species” at a meeting of the American Academy of Arts 
and Sciences on Beacon Street. Gray was present. In February, Agassiz 
began his open opposition to the theory of Darwin, stating at the Boston 
Society of Natural History that, while Darwin was one of the best naturalists 
in England, his great knowledge and experience had been brought to the 
support of an ingenious but fanciful theory. In these discussions Professor 
Rogers valiantly upheld Darwin’s views. In March, Agassiz continued to 
oppose Darwin, and in April, Gray and Parsons made their reply. In May, 
they were at it again. Then followed the admirable essay of Parsons, Pro¬ 
fessor of Law at Harvard, and the unfortunate advance sheets of the third 
volume of Agassiz’s “Contributions.” Then came Gray’s Atlantic Monthly 
articles, and thus ended the first year. 
Among the records of the learned societies of New York, Philadelphia 
and Washington, I can find nothing to indicate that there was any particular 
interest in the disturbances that were going on in and about Boston. Pro¬ 
fessor Dana, easily the dominant figure in science at New Haven, was in 
poor health and out of the country, but it was generally considered that his 
intensely idealistic views would probably have prevented him from accepting 
a theory that was felt by many to be grossly materialistic. The infection 
therefore was local and remained local about Boston for a full decade. 
In 1861 Agassiz doubtless discussed the matter before the National 
Academy in a paper on the “Individuality of Animals,” but I have been 
unable to find a copy of the paper. 
In 1863 Jeffries Wyman, in his review of Owen’s monograph on the 
“Aye-aye” gave inference of his adherence to the theories of Darwin, and 
indicated the impossibility of there being any neutral ground. 
In 1865 Morse came to New York from Salem to be the guest of this 
academy, but the formal paper that he presented did not contain even a 
remote allusion to the discussions that were going on in what was then con¬ 
sidered America’s educational center. 
