The TOOHO HATUEAUST: 



A Penny Weekly Magazine of Natural History. 



No. 111. DECEMBER 21th, 1881. Vol. 3. 



DARWINISM. 



WHAT is the meaning of the term 

 "Darwinism" has often been 

 asked us by our young readers ; but it 

 not being a question that can be disposed 

 of in a few brief words in ''Answers to 

 Correspondents," we have as yet made 

 no attempt to reply. In a dictionary 

 perhaps it might be answered by saying 

 that Darwinism is a theory of the origin 

 of species put forward by Mr. Charles 

 Darwin. That answer, however, eould 

 give no information as to the theory 

 itself, and we expect enquiring natural- 

 ists want to know about the theory, 

 rather than a bald reply like the above. 

 We will endeavour to give our readers 

 an idea of Mr. Darwin's theory if they 

 will excuse shortcomings, for it is not 

 an easy subject to write upon so as to 

 be understood by beginners ; in fact, it 

 is not an easy subject at all, and very 

 many good naturalists appear to have 

 failed to grasp it. Mr. Darwin has 

 written a whole library of books in its 

 elucidation, and we must be pardoned 

 if we fail to do more than touch upon it 

 in the brief space at our command here. 



It is no wonder that the origin of 

 species has always engrossed the atten- 

 tion of enquiring minds. Some are 



prepared to accept the account of the 

 creation as given in Genesis as sufficient 

 for everything and everyone,while others 

 who may not necessarily have any theo- 

 logical difficulties to surmount, knowing 

 that LAW reigns supreme throughout 

 the universe, are desirous to know the 

 law that has governed the introduction 

 of new species upon this earth. There 

 was a time when it might have been 

 held that all living beings had been 

 created at once, but the discovery of 

 fossil remains of various extinct animals 

 and plants was not easily reconciled 

 with such a doctrine. A theory was 

 promulgated that after the various ex- 

 tinct animals had lived, a state of chaos 

 and darkness came over the earth, during 

 which period all living things died, and 

 after which the creation of existing beings 

 was begun. Geology was not long in 

 disposing of this theory, and it is now 

 known that no such blank as this 

 supposes ever occurred, but that there 

 has been one continuous chain of life 

 from the earliest dawn of animal or 

 vegetable existence down to the present 

 day. The question then arises, how 

 have the various plants and animals that 

 we find in the world to-day come into 

 existence ? Were they called into being 



