INTRODUCTION 7 



dence of the continuity of life and of its successive 

 steps of progress. 



But it does not fall to me to enter upon any of 

 the special fields to which Darwin made his mon- 

 umental contributions. Your committee has 

 wisely assigned the leading aspects of the theory 

 of evolution to those pecuharly fitted to treat 

 them by reason of their own high attainments. 

 In this introductory word on behalf of the Asso- 

 ciation, I have found no more fitting way to ex- 

 press our appreciation than to recall the tribute 

 we have been paying by what we have done, and 

 what we are trying to do, because Darwin set us 

 a-doing. 



