DARWIN AND DESCENT. ;2I7 



relating to the geological succession of organic beings, 

 better accord with the common view of the immuta- 

 bility of species, or with that of their slow and gradual 

 modification, through descent and natural selection " 

 (p. 312). 



The words " natural selection " are indeed here, 

 but they might as well be omitted for all the effect 

 they produce. The argument is felt to be about the 

 two opposed theories of descent, and independent 

 creative efforts. 



Again : — ■ 



" These several facts accord well with my theory " 



(P- 314). 



That " my theory " is the theory of descent is the 

 conclusion most naturally drawn from the context. 

 " My theory " became " our theory "in 1 869. 



Again : — 



" This gradual increase in the number of the species 

 of a group is strictly comformable with my theory ; ■ . . 

 for the process of modification and the production of a 

 number of allied forms must be slow and gradual, . . . 

 like the branching of a great tree from a single stem, 

 till the group becomes large " (p. 3 1 4). 



" My theory " became " the theory " in 1 869. "We 

 took " my theory " to be the theory of descent ; that 

 Mr. Darwin treats this as synonymous with the theory 

 of natural selection appears from the next paragraph, 

 on the third line of which we read, " On the theory of 

 natural selection the extinction of old forms," &c. 



Again : — 



" The theory of natural selection is grounded on the 



