33° BIOLOGY AND ITS MAKERS 
first third of the nineteenth century was that taken by 
Lamarck, he being the first to read in the series the history 
of life upon the globe, weaving it into a connected story, and 
establishing thereon a doctrine of organic evolution. It was 
not until after 1859, however, that the truth of this conclusion 
was generally admitted, and when it was accepted it was not 
through the earlier publications of Lamarck, but through 
the arguments of later observers, founded primarily upon 
the hypothesis set forth by Darwin. There were several 
gradations of scientific opinion in the period, short as it 
was, between the time of Cuvier and of Darwin; and this 
intermediate period was one of contention and warfare 
between the theologians and the geologists. Cuvier had 
championed the theory of a succession of catastrophes, and 
since this hypothesis did not come into such marked conflict 
with the prevailing theological opinion as did the views of 
Lamarck, the theologians were ready to accept the notion of 
Cuvier, and to point with considerable satisfaction to his 
unique position as an authority. 
Lyell.—In 1830 there was published an epoch-making 
work in geology by Charles Lyell (Fig. 97), afterward 
Sir Charles, one of the most brilliant geologists of all the 
world. This British leader of scientific thought showed the 
prevalence of a uniform law of development in reference to 
the earth’s surface. He pointed out the fact that had been 
maintained by Hutton, that changes in the past were to be 
interpreted in the light of what is occurring in the present. 
By making a careful study of the work performed by the 
waters in cutting down the continents and in transferring the 
eroded material to other places, and distributing it in the form 
of deltas; by observing also the action of frost and wind and 
wave; by noting, furthermore, the conditions under which 
animals die and are subsequently covered up in the matrix 
of detritus—by all this he showed evidences of a series of 
