CHAPTER I. 



"It was a happy day that people threw off the straight- 

 jacket of logic and the burdensome fetters of strict method, 

 and mounting the light-caparisoned steed of philosophic 

 science, soared into the empyrean, high above the laborious 

 path of ordinary mortals. One may not take offense 

 if even the most sedate citizen, for the sake of a change, 

 occasionally kicks over the traces, provided only 

 that he returns in due time to his wonted course. 

 And now in the domain of Biology, one is led to 

 think that the time has at length arrived for putting an 

 end to mad masquerade pranks and for returning without 

 reserve to serious and sober work, to find satisfaction there- 

 in." With these words did the illustrious Wigand, twenty- 

 five years ago, conclude the preface to the third volume 

 of his large classical work against Darwinism. True, he 

 did not at that time believe that the mad campaign of 

 Darwinism had already ended to its own detriment, but 

 he always predicted with the greatest confidence that the 

 struggle would soon terminate in victory for the anti- 

 Darwinian camp. When Wigand closed his eyes in death 

 in 1896, he was able to bear with him the consciousness 

 that the era of Darwinism was approaching its end, and 

 that he had been in the right. 



35 



