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CHAPTEE XII. 



WHY dabwin's variations were accidental. 



Some may perhaps deny that Mr. Darwin did this, 

 and say he laid so much stress on use and disuse as 

 virtually to make function his main factor of evolu- 

 tion. If, indeed, we confine ourselves to isolated 

 passages, we shall find little difiiculty in making out 

 a strong case to this effect. Certainly most people 

 believe this to be Mr. Darwin's doctrine, and con- 

 sidering how long and fully he had the ear of the 

 public, it is not likely they would think thus if Mr. 

 Darwin had willed otherwise, nor could he have induced 

 them to think as they do if he had not said a good 

 deal that was capable of the construction so commonly 

 put upon it; but it is hardly necessary, when 

 addressing biologists, to insist on the fact that Mr. 

 Darwin's distinctive doctrine is the denial of the 

 comparative importance of function, or use and disuse, 

 as a purveyor of variations, — with some, but not very 

 considerable, exceptions, chiefly in the cases of domes- 

 ticated animals. 



He did not, however, make his distinctive feature 

 as distinct as he should have done. Sometimes he 



M 



