ESTIMATES OF HIS CHARACTER AND WORK -ji 



In his views on life, the nature of the will and 

 reason, and other subjects, Haeckel declares that 

 Lamarck was far above most of his contemporaries, 

 and that he sketched out a programme of the biology 

 of the future which was not carried out until our day. 



J. Victor Carus* also claims for Lamarck "the 

 lasting merit of having been the first to have placed 

 the theory (of descent) on a scientific foundation." J 



The best, most catholic, and just exposition of La- 

 marck's views, and which is still worth reading, is that 

 by Lyell in Chapters XXXIV.-XXXVL of his 

 Principles of Geology, 1830, and though at that time 

 one would not look for an acceptance of views which 

 then seemed extraordinary and, indeed, far-fetched, 

 Lyell had no words of satire and ridicule, only a 

 calm, able statement and discussion of his principles. 

 Indeed, it is well known that when, in after years, 

 his friend Charles Darwin published his views, Lyell 

 expressed some leaning towards the older specula- 

 tions of Lamarck. 



Lyell's opinions as to the interest and value of 

 Lamarck's ideas may be found in his Life and Letters, 

 and also in the Life and Letters of Charles Darwin. 

 In the chapter. On the Reception of the Origin of 

 Species, by Huxley, are the following extracts 

 from Lyell's Letters iS'^., pp. 179-204). In a letter ad- 

 dressed to Mantell (dated March 2, 1827), Lyell 

 speaks of having just read Lamarck; he expresses 

 his delight at Lamarck's theories, and his personal 

 freedom from any objections based on theological 



* Geschichte der Zoologie bis auf Joh. MillUr und Charles Darwin, 

 1872. 



