Search Results - The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

sterility of first crosses and of hybrids being considered as an objection to the doctrine of Descent with Modification. Chapter IX. treats of the Imperfection of the Geological Record as the explanation of the apparently insufficient evidence of evolution during past ages. Chapter X., on the Geological succession of Organic Beings, shows that, allowing for this Imperfection of Record, the facts brought to light by Geology support a belief in evolution and in some cases even in natural

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

the natural processes on which Darwin founds his deductions are no more doubted than those of growth and multiplication; and, whether the full potency attributed to them is admitted or not, no one doubts their vast and far-reaching significance. But of evolution he speaks far more strongly: To any one who studies the signs of the times, the emergence of the philosophy of Evolution, [ bound hand and foot and cast into utter darkness during the millennium of theological scholasticism ] in the

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

line of mathematical reasoning on which the limit had been fixed. Huxley was called on to second the vote of thanks, and his speech had evidently been considered with the greatest care. I quote the passages which bear on evolution and natural selection from the Times of August 9th, 1894, in which a verbatim report is furnished: . . . As one of those persons who for many years past had made a pretty free use of the comfortable word 'evolution,' let him remind them that 34 years ago a considerable

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

southwards over the continent (of South America). On the theory of separate creation the existence of such representative species received no explanation, although it became perfectly intelligible on the theory that a single species may be modified into distinct, although nearly related, species in the course of its range over a wide geographical area. Here, too, the evidence is in favour of evolution simply, and does not point to any cause of evolution. He also implies that even at this time he

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

Natural Selection is, in the main, safe. About this time Darwin seems to have heard that Lyell had made up his mind to admit the doctrine of evolution into a new edition of the Manual, and he wrote (November 23rd): I honour you most sincerely. To have maintained in the position of a master, one side of a question for thirty years, and then deliberately give it up, is a fact to which I much doubt whether the records of science offer a parallel. Lyell's public confession of faith was, however, not to

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

CHAPTER XVIII. INFLUENCE OF DARWIN UPON HUXLEY. IT is of the utmost interest to trace the influence of Darwin upon Huxley, his great General in the numerous controversial battles which had to be fought before the new views were to secure a fair hearing and, at length, complete success. Now that we are quietly enjoying the fruit of his many victories, we are apt to forget how much we owe to Huxley, not only for evolution, but for that perfect freedom in the expression of thought and opinion

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

selection as well as evolution. On the other hand, the opinion has often been expressed that Huxley, although agreeing with the Origin for some years after its first appearance, changed his mind in later years, and no longer supported Darwin's views. I shall give reasons for rejecting both these opinions about Huxley, although the first is far nearer the truth than the second. The latter is clearly untenable, and was probably merely an inference from the fact that after a time Huxley ceased to

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

better or defended it more vigorously and successfully, but Huxley's own researches never lay in directions which would have made them available as a test of the theory. Of natural selection he might have used the words of Mercutio it may not be so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door, to contain the whole explanation of evolution, but 'tis enough 'twill serve ; it will, at any rate, prevent him from feeling the second ground on which he had maintained an agnostic position. I believe

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

against a full and complete acceptance of natural selection. We now come to the last and most significant of all Huxley's utterances on evolution and natural selection, made on two great occasions in the last year of his life. Lord Salisbury, in his eloquent and interesting Presidential Address to the British Association at Oxford (August 8th, 1894), had said of Darwin: He has, as a matter of fact, disposed of the doctrine of the immutability of species.. . .Few now are found to doubt that

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

CHAPTER XXIII. DESCENT OF MAN EXPRESSION OF EMOTIONS EARTHWORMS (1871 81). THE work on The Descent of Man was begun as soon as Darwin had sent the manuscript of Animals and Plants to the printers, although notes on the subject had been collected from time to time during the previous thirty years in fact, ever since Darwin had come to definite conclusions on evolution. The book was published February 24th, 1871, but, as in the case of his other publications, continuous work upon the manuscript

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

the Royal Society, 140; Darwinism, not Evolution, 140, 141; and the Bishop of Oxford, 155 Hybrid Grafts, 166 Hybridism, 175, 176 Hybrids, Tendency to Resemble one Parent, 171; Sterility of, 171; Produced by Grafting, 168 Hypothesis and Speculation, Bearing on Science, 14, 15 Inheritance, The Theories of, 167, 174 Insectivorous Plants, 198 Instinctive Knowledge in Animals denied by Darwin, 216 Jenkin, Fleming, 81 Lamarck's Theory of Evolution, 99; Comparison with Darwin's, 148, 150 Lankester, Prof

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

in the autumn of 1836, I immediately began to prepare my journal for publication, and then saw how many facts indicated the common descent of species, so that in July, 1837, I opened a note-book to record any facts which might bear on the question. But I did not become convinced that species were mutable until I think two or three years had elapsed. It is interesting to note that both the lines of evidence which appealed to Darwin so strongly, point to evolution, but not to any causes of

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

of any naturalist who should attempt to supply a motive force for evolution. And he regarded the previous attempts at an explanation the direct action of surroundings and the will of the organism as inadequate because they could not account for such adaptations. Therefore being convinced of evolution, but as yet unprovided with a motive cause which in any way satisfied him, he began in July, 1837, shortly after his return home from the Beagle, to collect all facts which bore upon the

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

of evolution as apart from any theory which may account for it; and a thorough agreement with natural selection as a true cause for the production of species. At no time in his life did he state how far he considered natural selection to be a sufficient cause. He was only prepared to go to the stake, if requisite, in support of the chapters which marshal the evidence for evolution (ix., and most parts of x., xi., and xii). [page] 12

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

. Darwiniana was published in 1893, and this is the date of the Preface, in which Huxley speaks of . . . the ancient doctrine of Evolution, rehabilitated and placed upon a sound scientific foundation, since, and in consequence of, the publication of the 'Origin of Species . . .' He thinks that readers will admit that in the first two essays (see pages 124 128 of the present volume) . . . my zeal to secure fair play for Mr. Darwin, did not drive me into the position of a mere advocate ; and that

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

the new ideas were absorbed appears remarkable. Even so able a man as the late Professor Rolleston wrote in 1870 ( Forms of Animal Life, Introduction, p. xxv., First Edition) the following carefully guarded sentences, which, it is to be noted, deal with evolution rather than natural selection. Speaking of the theory of evolution with which Mr. Darwin's name is connected, Rolleston says: Many of the peculiarities which attach to biological classifications would thus receive a reasonable

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

CHAPTER IV. CAMBRIDGE LONDON WORK UPON THE COLLECTIONS MARRIAGE GEOLOGICAL WORK JOURNAL OF THE VOYAGE CORAL REEFS FIRST RECORDED THOUGHTS ON EVOLUTION (1837 42). DARWIN reached England October 2nd, 1836, and was home at Shrewsbury October 5th (according to his Letters; the 4th is the date given by Francis Darwin in the Life and Letters ). The two years and three months which followed he describes as the most active ones he ever spent. After visiting his family, he stayed three months in

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

Darwin gave to Sir Joseph Hooker of Belt's admirable Naturalist in Nicaragua as the best of all Natural History journals which have ever been published. A comparison between the first and second editions indicates, but by no means expresses, his growing convictions on evolution and natural selection. Natural selection he had not discovered when the MS. of the first edition was complete; and if we had no further evidence we could not, from any [page] 3

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

and Letters ). The history of Darwin's career has often been used as an argument against those who, not having passed through a similar training as regards systematic zoological work, have ventured to concern themselves with the problems of evolution. Professor Meldola has recently treated of this subject in his interesting presidential address to the Entomological Society (1896). He says: It used formerly to be asserted that he only is worthy of attention who has done systematic, i.e. taxonomic

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A334 Book: Poulton, Edward Bagnall. 1896. Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. London: Cassell & Co. Text Image

. Sir Joseph Hooker was his most intimate friend during the growth of the Origin of Species. Although Hooker met Darwin in 1839, their friendship did not begin until four years later, when the former returned from the Antarctic Expedition. On January 11th, 1844, Darwin wrote admitting his conclusions on the question of evolution: At last gleams of light have come, he says, and I am almost convinced (quite contrary to the opinion I started with) that species are not (it is like confessing a murder