Jarfoinism. 
By CHARLES JECKS. 
HAT is the meaning of the term ‘‘Darwinism”? or what 
Y Y are those opinions, which, in the aggregate, are called 
the “ Darwinian Theory ”? I believe these. Given the occasional 
variation in structure of a plant or animal, that, if this variation 
tend towards its welfare, but not otherwise, such plant or animal 
will thus be given certain advantages over others less favoured, 
which advantages will, by the law of heredity, tend to increase, 
and in this way, supposing that any form of life give rise to a 
variety in the structure of its progeny, advantageous to ita 
existence j and sufficiently marked (its surroundings, as regards 
other organisms, being favourable), the form of life in which this 
variation appears, being thus able to survive in circumstances 
injurious or fatal to other forms, hands down to its progeny these 
advantages in an ever increasing ratio, the ultimate results being 
what 'we call a species. 
It will thus be seen that there can be no direct connection 
between the parent-form and its remote descendant, for these 
are separated by many other forms, each of which is noted for a 
more or less marked variation from the original stock, one form 
sometimes diverging into two or more branches, as represented in 
the diagram in Mr. Darwin’s “ Origin of Species,” so that the 
original form would be almost lost. We cannot, therefore, thus 
reasonably expect to find any two forms of life connected together 
by any unbroken line of descent, but must, on the other hand,. 
