How I wrote " Evolution," etc. 31 



full account of Buffon's fluctuating conclusions upon the 

 same subject.^ But Mr. Darwin is a more than commonly 

 puzzling writer. I read what M. Geoffrey had to say upon 

 Buffon, and was surprised to find that, after all, according 

 to M. Geoffroy, Buffon, and not Lamarck, was the founder 

 of the theory of evolution. His name, as I have already 

 said, was never mentioned in the first edition of the " Origin 

 of Species." 



M. Geoffroy goes into the accusations of having fluctuated 

 in his opinions, which he tells us have been brought against 

 Buffon, and comes to the conclusion that they are unjust, 

 as any one else will do who turns to Buffon himself. Mr. 

 Darwin, however, in the " brief but imperfect sketch," 

 catches at the accusation, and repeats it while saying 

 nothing whatever about the defence. The following is 

 still all he says : " The first author who in modern times 

 has treated " evolution " in a scientific spirit was Buffon. 

 But as his opinions fluctuated greatly at different periods, 

 and as he does not enter on the causes or means of the 

 transformation of species, I need not here enter on details." 

 On the next page, in the note last quoted, Mr. Darwin 

 originally repeated the accusation of Buffon's having been 

 fluctuating in his opinions, and appeared to give it the im- 

 primatur of Isidore Geoffrey's approval ; the fact being that 

 Isidore Geoffroy only quoted the accusation in order to 

 refute it ; and though, I suppose, meaning well, did not 

 make half the case he might have done, and abounds with 

 misstatements. My readers will find this matter particu- 

 larly dealt with in " Evolution, Old and New," Chapter X. 



I gather that some one must have complained to Mr. 

 Darwin of his saying that Isidore Geoffroy gave an account 

 of Buffon's " fluctuating conclusions " concerning evolu- 



1 The note began thus : "I have taken the date of the first 

 pubUcation of Lamarck from Isidore Geoffroy St. Hilaire's (Hist. 

 Nat. Generale, tom. ii. p. 405, 1859) excellent history of opinion upon 

 this subject. In this work a full account is given of Buffon's fluctu- 

 ating conclusions upon the same subject." — Origin of Species, 3d ed., 

 1 86 1, p. xiv. 



