210 DARWIN AND PALEONTOLOGY 



report at a favourable opportunity,' has delighted me 

 even more than the rest of your note. I feel convinced 

 that, though as long as I have strength I shall go on 

 working on this subject, the sole way of getting my 

 views partially accepted will be by sound workers show- 

 ing that they partially accept them. I say ' partially,' 

 for I have never for a moment doubted that, though 

 I can not see my errors, much in my book will be proved 

 erroneous." 



Fifty years ago paleontology was an embry- 

 onic science so far as natural philosophy is con- 

 cerned; beyond the grand outlines of change in 

 the world of extinct mammals and reptiles Dar- 

 win knew little of its processes or results. In the 

 letter cited above he is encouraged by Leidy's 

 promise of paleontological support for the gen- 

 eral doctrine of evolution; he is even more grat- 

 ified with the passage relating to Selection. In 

 other words, in this characteristically candid let- 

 ter Darwin appeals for evidence from paleontol- 

 ogy in support of evolution ; he hopes that sound 

 workers will partially accept his views regarding 

 Selection; he does not for a moment doubt that 

 much of his views regarding Selection will prove 

 to be erroneous. 



A year later, April 26, 1861, Darwin writes to 

 L. Davidson, the great authority on brachiopods, 

 asking him to undertake a piece of work which 

 would test the doctrine of evolution. 



" . . .in that book [the Origin] I have made the 

 remark, which I apprehend will be universally admitted, 

 that as a whole, the fauna of any formation is interme- 



