40 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



authority could be named, but this brings us to one of the very 

 few clerical errors in the volume. On the title-page we read, 

 "By P. E. Wasmann"; on the outside paper covering to the 

 book we notice the more familiar name, "Erich Wasmann." 



These pages are very useful to English students and readers 

 by giving references to little consulted German writers on evolu- 

 tionary subjects. The whole treatise by Father Frank proves — 

 and that to the hilt — at least one fact : that an evolutionary 

 conception, varying admittedly in direction and degree, now 

 permeates all our logical conclusions. 



A Reply to " Revised Darwinism, or Father Wasmann on Evolu- 

 tion, by the Rev. Simon FitzSimons." By the Kev. Erich 

 Wasmann, SJ. B. Herder. London: 68, Great Eussell 

 Street. 

 The previous volume noticed above gave us some doubts a i 

 to its representing all branches of thought in the great Church 

 to which the author belonged. The receipt of this polemic has 

 satisfied us that those doubts are valid. Father FitzSimons is 

 evidently a zealous theologian, and might have lived and prac- 

 tised at the era of Galileo, but his scientific views are somewhat 

 extravagant. He expresses the opinion that "the English- 

 speaking world had about settled down to the very sane con- 

 clusion that the theory of evolution was nothing more than a 

 weariness to the spirit and a burden to the flesh, and that 

 Darwinism had become an intolerable bore." But this is not 

 his real indiscretion ! His great mistake is in venturing to 

 attack his co-religionist, Father Wasmann, S.J., and by im- 

 plication his suggested heretical views on evolution. The latter's 

 reply on scientific grounds is complete, and by its absolute 

 vindication almost cruel. This brochure is well worth the 

 perusal of evolutionary zoologists, and is a ' Catholic Fortnightly 

 Beview Reprint.' Father Wasmann's exposition of the evolu- 

 tionary conception, based on a real study of authorities whose 

 views on all subjects are not his own, is fair, masterly, and to 

 the point. This polemic between two Catholic theologians on 

 the subject of evolution is, indeed, a portent, but not an un- 

 favourable one. 



