262 



£EY. PEOF. G. HZ>-SLOW^ M.A., T.L.S., 



seems that the Origin of Variations,*' whatever it is, is the only true 

 ''Origin of Species" and of that not one of us knows anything.'" 

 We must, as de Tries has shown, distinguish real, genetic varia- 

 tion from fludnaiional variations, due to environmental and other 

 accidents, which cannot be transmitted." 



The only conclusion we can come to, after the most li]>eral 

 allowance has been made for such slight modifications as may be 

 traced to change of environment, is that ''Science" cannot ofi'er us 

 any satisfying explanation as to the manner in which, or the means 

 by which, the innumerable types of animal and plant life came into 

 existence or attained their present forms. On the other hand, the 

 more we study these forms of life, the more satisfying we shall find 

 — if only we are willing — those incomparable and infinitely com- 

 prehensive words in Genesis : — 



''Let the eaiih bring forih grass, the herb yielding seed after his 

 kind and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his had " Let 



the waters bring forth the moving creatiu^e that hath life . . . ." 

 " L^f fV; ^'7'-^^ the living creature after his kind . . . ." 

 "Zt " 7';, after our liJ:eness " 



Mr. Martin L. Kouse, M.R.A.S., said : Professor Henslow's 

 lecture recalls the pleasant days in which Mr. Arthur Sutton and I 

 were his students at Cirencester. His lectures then always exceeded 

 anticipation by their fascinating interest ; and to-day, after forty 

 years, listening again to his discourse, I see the interest of its printed 

 form more than doubled by his admirable illustrations. All the more 

 do I regret that I cannot fall in with his final conclusions. Adapta- 

 tions due to environment he has proved, and the breaking down of 

 partitions between what were supposed to l>e different species in a 

 few cases, but nothing approaching to the doctrine of evolution. 

 That Baminrulus aquaticus. when he sowed it in dry earth, had aU its 

 leaves alike is a very remarkable fact, and more striking still is it 

 that when it still grew in water another scientist was able to tiu-n 

 its lower brush-like leaves into weU-bladed ones by chemical feeding, 

 which overcame the dilution of the protoplasm by water. But no 

 one ever saw the petals of this species change from white to yellow, 

 like those of our land ranunculi or buttercups [though we have seen 

 many a pond dry up with water ranunculi in its bed, and the 

 seeds self sown near the edge must often remain without a water- 

 covering, when the winter's rainfall is below the average]. Again I 



