DARWIN AND DESCENT. 219 



natural system ; and this is at once explained on the 

 principle of. descent" (p. 329). 



Putting the three preceding passages together, we 

 naturally inferred that " the theory of natural selection " 

 and " the principle of descent " were the same things. 

 We knew Mr. Darwin claimed the first, and therefore 

 unhesitatingly gave him the second at the same time. 



Again : — 



" Let us see how far these several facts and infer- 

 ences accord with the theory of descent with modifica- 

 tion" (p. 331). 



Again : — 



"Thus, on the theory of descent with modification, 

 the main facts with regard to the mutual affinities 

 of the extinct forms of life to each other and to living 

 forms, seem to me explained in a satisfactory manner.; 

 And they are wholly inexplicable on any other mew " 



(P- 333)- 



The words "seem to me" involve a claim in the 

 absence of so much as a hint in any part of the book 

 concerning indebtedness to earlier writers. 



Again : — 



" On the theory of descent, the full meaning of the 

 fossil remains," &c. (p. 336). 



In the following paragraph we read : — 



" But in one particular sense the more recent forms 

 must, on my theory, be higher than the more ancient.'' 



Again : — 



" Agassiz insists that ancient animals resemble to a 

 certain extent the embryos of recent animals of the 

 same classes; or that the geological succession of 



