"290 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [OcroBER, 1915. 
-definite mark of recognition were extended to them. This is the idea 
behind the proposal, and we hope to see it take an equally practical form. 
Two papers on the subject of Evolution, by Prof. G. Henslow, appear 
in the last issue of the Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society. They are 
entitled ‘‘The Passing of Darwinism” and =‘ Darwin’s Alternative 
Explanation of Evolution.” In the first we are told: ‘‘ Darwinism, or the 
Theory of the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection, has held its 
round for fifty-five years. But it is destined to pass away, though the 
‘struggle for existence and the survival of the fittest, upon which the theory 
was based, will ¢ontinue, presumably, amongst living organisms, as long as 
the world shall exist. The theory itself cannot last.” We now turn over 
seven pages, and we read: “I shall show how Darwin’s alternative 
explanation—for it is no theory—has proved to be the right and only way 
by which Nature originates new varieties and species.” But if the 
explanation is “ right,” and even if ‘‘ Evolution is now based on far securer 
grounds than Darwin could realise in the fifties,’ what becomes of the 
phrase ‘‘ The Passing of Darwinism ? ” 
We are told that ‘ Injurious variations do not occur in Nature”; that 
‘it is a ‘‘ groundless assumption,” to which may be added the fact that “‘ the 
theory ignores any natural law governing the appearance of new variations 
possessing adaptations to the new conditions of life.” But we do not so 
read it. Darwin pointed out that “the modified offspring of all dominant 
and increasing forms tend to become adapted to many and diversified 
places in the economy of Nature.” This is admitted, but the lecturer 
adds: “It is remarkable that we read nothing more about adaptation in 
‘the Origin, &c., Ist to 6th ed. . . . The word does not occur in the 
Index.” He should turn to page tor of edition 6, where Darwin remarks, 
in answer to an objection of Hewett C. Watson: ‘It seems probable that 
-a sufficient number of species would become adapted to all considerable 
diversities of heat, moisture, &c.”’ This is surely definite enough.” 
And in his fascinating work, the Fertilisation of Orchids, there is a wealth 
-of allusion toadaptation. We read: “It has, I think, been shown that the 
‘Orchidez exhibit an almost endless diversity of beautiful adaptations. 
When this or that part has been spoken of as adapted for some special 
purpose, it must not be supposed that it was originally always formed for 
this sole purpose. The regular course of events seems to be that a part 
which originally served for one purpose becomes adapted by slow changes 
for widely different purposes” (ed. 2, p. 282). Again: ‘‘ The more I 
‘study nature, the more I become impressed, with ever-increasing force, that 
