THE SEQUOIA 
Among the earlier champions of Darwin's theory, were Lyell, 
Tyndall, Hooker and Spencer. 
More recently the philosophy of zodlogy has centered around 
the question of the inheritance of characters acquired during 
the life of the organism, and biologists at present are divided into 
two schools; one, nominally led by Herbert Spencer, contend 
that such characters are inherited; the other, of which August 
Weismann is the head, deny the inheritance of acquired charac- 
ters and affirm that “natural selection,’’ acting on congenital 
variations, is sufficient to produce the diverse organic forms. 
Since Darwin's time the growth of biology has been phenom- 
enal. This is due to the enthusiasm of the great number of in- 
vestigators in every branch of science, and to the application of 
modern inventions in methods of research. Governments, as well 
as private individuals, have contributed generously to aid the 
work. Expeditions for exploring the depths of the sea and the 
remotest parts of the world have been organized and successfully 
carried out. a 
A. R. Wallace in 1876 published his “ Distribution of Ani- 
mals,’’ which was the first complete treatise on zo6-geography, 
one of the pillars of evolution. 
The “Challenger’’ expedition (1872-1876), sent out by Eng- 
land, obtained more than 8000 species new to science. 
The United States Fish Commission, established by the Gov- 
ernment, through the energy of Professor S. F. Baird, as well as 
the National Museum and the Geological Survey, have made 
valuable contributions to science. 
Among the seashore laboratories, that founded at Naples in 
1870, by Professor Dohrn, is most famous. 
Palzontology too has had a rapid growth. Cope in this 
country discovered and described more than a thousand new 
species of vertebrates, many of which are on exhibition in the 
Hall of Fossil Vertebrates. In invertebrate paleontology James 
Hall was one of the leaders, and a large proportion of the mate- 
rial upon which he did his monumental work is displayed in the 
Geological Hall. 
The researches of Louis Pasteur have revolutionized both the 
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