Charles Bobert Darwin. 



71 



CHARLES ROBERT DARWIN* 



By J oseph F. James. 



There has passed away, within the last few weeks, one of the most emi- 

 nent, and one of the greatest men which our century has so far produced. 

 A man who is perhaps better known, at least by name, than any other. 

 A man whose influence in science and upon scientific thought has 

 been most profound. And a man who should be admired as a teacher, 

 an experimenter, and an investigator. We as cultivators and students 

 in the wide domain of Natural History, should lay a tribute of respect 

 upon the grave, and honor the name of Charles Robert Darwin. 

 • He was born at Shrewsbury, England, on February 12, 1809, and was, 

 therefore, at the time of his death, in his 74th year, having exceeded by 

 a little the three score }^ears and ten alloted to the life of man. He 

 was the worthy grandson of the justly celebrated Erasmus Darwin, 

 in whose writings, the "Botanic Garden" and " Zoonomia," were 

 shadowed forth the theories which the eminent and talented descend- 

 ant was destined to bring so prominently before the eyes of the scien- 

 tific world. 



Mr. Darwin began his investigations into natural science at an early 

 age, and after completing his college course at Cambridge, volunteered 

 his services as naturalist to H. M. Ship "Beagle," then about to sail 

 on a voyage round the world. This was in 1831, and it was while 

 upon this voyage that Mr. Darwin made observations which brought 

 him prominently before the notice of the world. His observations 

 upon the " Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs, ' was the first of 

 a long series of works of permanent value. In this book he first pro- 

 pounded the theory that the Coral islands of the South seas were the 

 result of the subsidence of the land, thus enabling the zoophytes to 

 build up the reefs, as the land sank, to the surface of the water, and 

 forming those beautiful "atolls," or coral-encircled lakes, which are 

 one of the beauties of the Pacific ocean. His observations upon 

 general natural history were embodied in that most charming of all 

 works of travel, " A Naturalist's Voyage Round the World." This 

 book has been read and enjoyed by thousands who know but little of 

 his other writings, and is certainly one of the most fascinating narra- 

 tives, and at the same time one of the most instructive ones which 

 has ever been written. Its immense popularity has been shown by the 



* Read May 2d, 1882. 



