YEAR by year the word ‘Evolution’ becomes 
diffused more widely through our literature, and 
the central idea which it implies grows familiar to 
an ever-increasing multitude of readers. We have 
witnessed within the last few years a marvellous 
awakening of interest in the minds of the public 
generally to questions of science, and it so happens 
that a discussion of the Doctrine of Evolution has 
been more or less directly involved in those depart- 
ments of Science and Philosophy which have during 
this period received the largest share of popular 
attention. 
Perhaps the greatest impetus was given to the 
spread of the doctrine about fourteen years ago, 
by the publication of Mr. Darwin’s now celebrated 
“Origin of Species.” This volume has been followed 
by quite a library of works and memoirs on the 
same subject—partly scientific and partly popular. 
From about the same date also, Mr. Herbert Spencer 
has been engaged in systematically elaborating the 
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