CHAMBERS. 2 1 5 



out-and-out evolutionists before the publication of 

 the Origin of Species. In his articles, '' Illoi^ical 

 Geology"^ and " The Development Hypr^thesis," 

 he strongly contrasts the difficulties of the S})ecial 

 Creation hypothesis with the arguments fur devel- 

 opment. He does not enter into the ([uestion of 

 the factors of Evolution, although such passages as 

 the following might be interpreted as showing his 

 inclination to Buffon's theory: "... \w\ exist- 

 ing species, animal or vegetable, when placed under 

 conditions different from its previous ones, imme- 

 diately begins to undergo certain changes of struct- 

 ure fittine it for the new conditions. . . . Tliere is 

 at work a modifying influence of the kind they 

 assign as the cause of these specific differences." 



The Progressionists. 



The Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation 

 appeared in England, in 1844, — the only volume 

 wholly devoted to Evolution between the Philoso- 

 phie Zoologiqiie, and the Origin of Species. It was 

 published anonymously, but is now attributed to 

 Robert Chambers (1802-1871), because of his lib- 

 eral views and considerable knowledge of Geologv; 

 yet he never acknowledged the authorship which 

 still remains unclaimed. Although intelligently and 

 reverently written, it met a scathing reccj^ion from 

 the reviewers upon the score of false science and 



1 These articles were republished in 1865, in an American edition of 

 Spencer's Essays, entitled, *' Illustrations of Universal Progress." 



