U US .COM P. 7 001-0 CY, 
THE EVOLUTION OF THE MAMMALIA 
W. B. SCOTT, Princeton University. 
It is one of the most hackneyed of scientific commonplaces 
that the theory of organic evolution has completely and pro- 
foundly changed all of the natural sciences, and has marvel- 
ously stimulated their growth. Yet, as so often happens, 
progress in one direction must be paid for by loss in another. 
As Minot well puts it : " In many respects, the naturalist had 
a broader conception of zoology than now prevails, for to him 
the earth was a whole, in which rocks, animals, and plants 
all had their parts and mutual relations, and the comprehension 
of these relations was the ideal for the attainment of which he 
strove. * * * From these illustrations one preserves an 
impression of loss which has befallen us through our surrender- 
ing too fully .to the biological tendencies and fashions of our 
day." The English naturalists, in particular, paid great atten- 
tion to the adaptations of living things to their surroundings, and, 
in a very interesting passage, Brooks has pointed out that this care- 
ful study of " fitness " by the older school of English zoologists, 
was one very important element in Darwin's success in solving 
the great problem, as contrasted with the failure of his conti- 
nental predecessors. 
While the new opinions have thus been accompanied by 
some drawbacks, they have brought far more important gains. 
-Sv.. Copyright, 1901, by Frederick A. Richardson. 
