HISTORICAL SKETCH. si 



how the Red Grouse came to be there, and there exclu- 

 sively; signifying also, by this mode of expressing such 

 ignorance, his belief that both the bird and the islands 

 owed their origin to a great first Creative Cause." If we 

 interpret these sentences given in the same address, one by 

 the other, it appears that this eminent philosopher felt in 

 1858 his confidence shaken that the Apteryx and the Eed 

 Grouse first appeared in their respective homes "he knew 

 not how," or by some process "he knew not what." 



This address was delivered after the papers by Mr. 

 Wallace and myself on the Origin of Species, presently to 

 be referred to, had been read before the Linnean Society. 

 When the first edition of this work was published, I was 

 so completely deceived, as were many others, by such 

 expressions as " the continuous operation of creative 

 power," that I included Professor Owen with other palseon- 

 tologists as being firmly convinced of the immutability of 

 species; but it appears ("Anat. of Vertebrates," vol. iii, 

 p. 796) that this was on my part a preposterous error. In 

 the last edition of this work I inferred, and the inference 

 still seems to me perfectly just, from a passage beginning 

 with the words "no doubt the type-form," etc. (Ibid., vol. 

 i, p. xxxv), that Professor Owen admitted that natural 

 selection may have done something in the formation of a 

 new species ; but this it appears (Ibid., vol. iii, p. 798) is 

 inaccurate and without evidence. 1 also gave some extracts 

 from a correspondence between Professor Owen and the 

 editor of the " London Eeview," from which it appeared 

 manifest to the editor as well as to myself, that Professor 

 Owen claimed to have promulgated the theory of natural 

 selection before I had done- so ; and I expressed ray sur- 

 prise and satisfaction at this announcement ; but as far as 

 it is possible to understand certain recently published pas- 

 sages (Ibid., vol. iii, p. 798) I have either partially or 

 wholly again fallen into error. It is consolatory to me 

 that others find Professor Owen's controversial writings as 

 difficult to understand and to reconcile with each other, as 

 I do. As far as the mere enunciation of the principle of 

 natural selection is concerned, it is quite immaterial 

 whether or not Professor Owen preceded me, for both of 

 us, as shown in this historical sketch, were long ago pre- 

 ceded by Dr. Wells and Mr. Matthews. 



