Charles Schuchert— Historical Geology, 1818-1918. 93 



nent, and hybrids " cannot seriously trifle with the true 

 units of nature, and at the best, can only make tempo- 

 rary variations. ' ' "We have therefore reason to believe 

 from man's fertile intermixture, that he is one in species : 

 and that all organic species are divine appointments 

 which cannot be obliterated, unless by annihilating the 

 individuals representing the species." 



Through the activities of the French the world was 

 prepared for the reception of evolution, and now it was 

 already in the minds of many advanced thinkers. In 

 1860 Asa Gray sent to the editor of the Journal (29, 1) 

 an article by the English botanist, Joseph D. Hooker, 

 entitled "On the Origination and Distribution of 

 Species," with these significant remarks : 



' ' The essay cannot fail to attract the immediate and profound 

 attention of scientific men ... It has for some time been 

 manifest that a re-statement of the Lamarckian hypothesis is 

 at hand. "We have this, in an improved and truly scientific 

 form, in the theories which, recently propounded by Mr. Dar- 

 win, followed by Mr. "Wallace, are here so ably and altogether 

 independently maintained. WTien these views are fully laid 

 before them, the naturalists of this country will be able to 

 take part in the interesting discussion which they will not fail 

 to call forth." 



Hooker took up a study of the flora of Tasmania, of 

 which the above cited article is but a chapter, with a 

 view to trying out Darwin's theory, and he now accepts 

 it. He says, "Species are derivative and mutable." 

 "The limits of the majority of species are so undefin- 

 able that few naturalists are agreed upon them." 



Asa Gray had received from Darwin an advance copy 

 of the book that was to revolutionize the thought of the 

 world, and at once wrote for the Journal a Review of 

 Darwin's Theory on the Origin of Species by means of 

 Natural Selection (29, 153, 1860). This is a splendid, 

 critical but just, scientific review of Darwin's epoch- 

 making book. Evidently views similar to those of the 

 English -scientist had long been in the mind of Gray, for 

 he easily and quickly mastered the work. He is easy on 

 Dana's Thoughts on Species, which were idealistic and 

 not in harmony with the naturalistic views of Darwin. 

 On the other hand, he contrasts Darwin's views at length 

 with those of the creationists as exemplified by Louis 

 Agassiz, and says "The widest divergence appears." 



