12 FIFTY YEARS OF DARWINISM 



Lyell. Although the writings of the illustrious 

 geologist have always been looked upon as among 

 the chief of the forces brought to bear upon the 

 mind of Darwin, evidence derived from the later 

 volumes of correspondence justifies the belief 

 that the effect was even greater and more sig- 

 nificant than has been supposed. 



Huxley has maintained with great force that 

 the way was paved for Darwin by Lyell's Prin- 

 ciples of Geology far more thoroughly than by 

 any other work. 



"... Consistent uniformitarianism postulates evo- 

 lution as much in the organic as in the inorganic 

 world. The origin of a new species by other than ordi- 

 nary agencies would be a vastly greater ' catastrophe ' 

 than any of those which LyeU successfully ehminated 

 from sober geological speculation." ^ 



When the Principles first appeared Darwin 

 was advised by Henslow to obtain and study the 

 first volimie, " but on no account to accept the 

 views therein advocated." But a study of the 

 very first place at which the Beagle touched, St. 

 lago, one of the Cape de Verde Islands, showed 

 Darwin the infinite superiority of Lyell's teach- 

 ings. He wrote to L. Horner,^ August 29, 

 1844:— 



" I have been lately reading with care A. d'Orbigny's 

 work on South America, and I cannot say how forcibly 

 impressed I am with the infinite superiority of the 

 Lyellian school of Geology over the continental. I 



' Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, II, p. 190. 

 ' More Letters, II, p. 117. 



