DARWIN AND DESCENT. 231 



Again : — 



" The theory of natural selection, even if we looked 

 no further than this, seems to me to he in itself proh- 

 able" (p. 469). 



This now stands, " The theory of natural selection, 

 even if we look no further than this, seems to be in the 

 highest degree prohahle." It is not only probable, but 

 was very sufficiently proved long before Mr. Darwin 

 was born, only it must be the right natural selection 

 and not Mr. Charles Darwin's. 



Again : — 



"It is inexplicable, on the theory of creation, why a 

 part developed, &c., . . . hut, on my view, this part 

 has undergone," &c. (p. 474). 



" On my view " became " on our view '' in 1 869. 



Again : — 



" Glancing at instincts, marvellous as some are, 

 they offer no greater difficulty than does corporeal 

 structure on the theory of the natural selection of suc- 

 cessive, slight, hut profitable modifications " (p. 474). 



Again : — 



" On the view of all the species of the same genus 

 having descended from a common parent, and having 

 inherited much iii common, we can understand how 

 it is," &c. (p. 474). 



Again : — 



" If we admit that the geological record is imper- 

 fect in an extreme degree, then such facts as the 

 record gives, support the theory of descent with 

 modification. 



"... The extinction of species . . . almost in- 



