Poulton.] o78 [May i6, 
really iiicaiil. This is, of course, an explanation eminently satis- 
factory to the single writer who was not to be convinced by "the 
power of loose analogy." But when we proceed to test this 
ingenious suggestion, and look into the history of the times to 
which it applies, when we read Darwin's letters, we find that he 
continually complains that people do not understand what he 
means by natural selection, and he almost regrets having used 
these words. He says more than once that he wishes he had 
used Herbert Spencer's term, the survival of the fittest, because his 
own title, natural selection, is comprehended with such difficulty. 
When we look to another class of evidence we find equally sure 
ground for the conviction that natural selection was driven into 
men's minds with the very greatest difficulty, and by no means 
with the ease which the Duke of Argyle assumes. It is very 
interesting to consult the various skits written between twenty 
and thirty years ago, and in which the writers supposed that they 
were making fun of Darwin's theory. If you will read them, you 
will be struck by one very remarkable fact : their authors are all 
making fun of Lamarck when they believe they are making fun 
of Darwin. 
T remember once seeing a picture in Punch, representing the 
evolution of the power of flight by the human species. It repre- 
sented a man standing upon the roof of a house and waving his 
hands, which, in consequence of the use to which they were \mt 
during his individual life, grew somewhat in size. Passing down 
to the next generation, his son was found Avaving rather larger 
hands, and the waving made them still larger. In the course of 
generations the descendants acquired large wings and flew down 
from the roof of the house. That was supposed to be a parody 
on evolution according to Darwin. I have called it a skit, but 
you will see at once that you cannot get a better illustration of 
Lamarckism. It is Lamarckism. It is not making fun of it ; it 
is a description of the process itself. 
Then Lord Neaves wrote a song in which he attempted to 
make great fun of Darwin's theory. It was a very long song, 
many verses of which were skits upon Lamarck, while supposed 
to be skits u2)on Darwin. 
"A (leer with a neck that was longer by half 
Than the rest of its family's — try not to laugh — 
By stretching and stretching became a giraffe, 
Which nobody can deny." 
