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

such simple illustrations, as when man selects. From these two letters to Wallace we see that the latter was the first to give up the larger variations in favour of ordinary individual differences. Darwin also wrote to Victor Carus on May 4th, 1869: I have been led to . . . infer that single variations are even of less importance, in comparison with individual differences, than I formerly thought. There has been much misconception on this point, and a theory of evolution by the selection of large

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

opinions in favour of evolution contained in Dr. Carpenter's work on Foraminifera, and supporting spontaneous generation. This was one of the rare occasions on which Darwin entered into controversy, and he wrote attacking spontaneous generation, and pointing out the numerous classes of facts which are connected by an intelligible thread of reasoning by means of his theory. In this letter he quoted the altered sentence from the second edition of the Antiquity. Darwin's letter was answered in an

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

pendious statements of well-sifted facts bearing on the doctrine of species that has ever appeared. It is clear that two very distinct points are urged in this criticism of natural selection (1) the difficulty that selective methods applied by man have not as yet produced all the characteristics of true species; (2) supposing the latter difficulty to be surmounted or sufficiently explained, the uncertainty as to how much or how little of the process of evolution has been due to natural

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

do so. A passage on page 467 shows that Huxley placed natural selection infinitely higher than any other attempt to account for evolution, and indeed that he regarded all other attempts with scorn. I really believe that the alternative is either Darwinism or nothing, for I do not know of any rational conception or theory of the Organic universe which has any scientific position at all beside Mr. Darwin's.. . .Whatever may be the objections to his views, certainly all other theories are absolutely

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

last quotation, and the following one, from Evolution in Biology, written in 1878, are, I think, [page] 13

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

before Darwin. This seems almost incredible to us at the present day, when the biological world is divided into two sections on the very subject, and when it is generally recognised that Lamarck's theory would be, if it were proved to be sound, a formidable rival to natural selection as a motive cause of evolution. But the following quotations a few among many leave no doubt whatever upon the subject. Evidence on this point reached Darwin almost immediately after the appearance of the Origin

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

-wisp of biological speculation, leading it into all kinds of fruitless and dangerous regions.* Dr. Carpenter's Introduction to the Study of Foraminifera had been reviewed in the Athen um (March 28th, 1863), the writer attacking evolution and favouring spontaneous generation, or, as it was then called, heterogeny. Darwin wrote to Hooker, who had lent him a copy of the paper, Who would have ever thought of the old stupid Athen um taking to Oken-like transcendental philosophy written in Owenian

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

monstrosities in evolution: Aug. 13th [1873]. Down. DEAR SIR I am much obliged for your present which no doubt I shall find at Down on my return home. . . . I am sorry to say that I cannot answer your question; nor do I believe that you could find it anywhere even approximately answered. It is very difficult or impossible to define what is meant by a larger variation. Such graduate into monstrosities or generally injurious variations. I do not myself believe that these are often or ever taken advantage of

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

written to ask Darwin's permission and advice as to the inclusion of some of F. M ller's observations in his most interesting paper, Entomological Notes bearing on Evolution (Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1878, 5th series, Vol. I. p. 155), which he was then preparing: Sept. 14, 1877. Down. DEAR SIR I have some doubts whether Fritz M ller would like extracts from his letters being published after so long an interval, that is if the letter relates to the origin of mimicry; for he published about a

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

The reference in this letter is to Meldola's paper, Entomological Notes bearing on Evolution, soon afterwards published in the Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 1878, Vol. I. p. 155. The caterpillar referred to is the well-known larva of the Large Elephant Hawk Moth (Ch rocampa elpenor). Darwin then wrote a brief note (October 19th, 1877) referring to a number of Kosmos containing an article on Sexual Selection. He offered to send the number if it would interest his correspondent. The

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

any special use to the philosophical generaliser, but I do think the collecting, naming, and classifying some extensive group of organisms is of great use, is, in fact, almost essential to any thorough grasp of the whole subject of the evolution of species through variation and natural selection. I had described nothing when I wrote my papers on variation, etc. (except a few fishes and palms from the Amazon), but I had collected and made out species very largely and had seen to some extent how

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

its parent form. Thus complex adaptations like those of woodpecker or mistletoe may be produced. V. Numerous difficulties can be answered satisfactorily in time. The supposed changes are only very gradual, and very slow, only a few undergoing change at any one time. The imperfection of the geological record accounts for deficient direct evidence of change. VI. Divergence during evolution will be an advantage. The same spot will support more life if occupied by very diverse forms. Hence during the

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

writers on evolution [page] 14

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

; Comparison and Reception of the Joint Papers, 78 82; Delay in Publishing his Discoveries, 90; Preparation of Origin of Species, 95, et seq.; Observations, 96; Appeals to Lyell, 97; Letter to John Murray, 97; his Influence upon Lyell, 105; Receives the Copley Medal of the Royal Society, 109; his Indebtedness to Lyell's Teaching, 110; Influence upon Hooker and Asa Gray, 111; his Controversy with Asa Gray, 114 118; his Influence upon Huxley, 119 143; his Views of Natural Selection as the Cause of Evolution

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F2171 Book contribution: Tennyson, Hallam. 1897. [Recollection of Tennyson and Darwin on Christianity]. In Alfred Lord Tennyson: a memoir. London: Macmillan & Co. Ltd., vol. 2, p. 57 Text Image PDF

Tennyson, Hallam. 1897. [Recollection of Tennyson and Darwin on Christianity.] Alfred Lord Tennyson: a memoir. London: Macmillan co., Ltd., vol. 2, p. 57. [page] 57 Aug. 17th. [1868] Farringford. Mr. Darwin called, and seemed to be very kindly, unworldly, and agreeable. A. said to him, Your theory of Evolution does not make against Christianity : and Darwin answered, No, certainly not

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F2752 Book contribution: Darwin, C. R. 1897. [Two letters to Gustav Jäger, 1869, 1875]. In H. G. Schlichter ed., Problems of nature: researches and discoveries of Gustav Jaeger, selected from his published writings. London: Williams and Norgate. Text PDF

species deserve the greatest attention; but I am not at present quite convinced that there are such independent of the conditions to which they are subjected. I think you have done great service to the principle of evolution, which we both support, by publishing this work. I am the more glad to read it, as I had not time to read Wigand's great and tedious volume. With my best thanks for the honour which you have done me, and with the greatest respect, I remain, Dear Sir, Yours faithfully, (Signed

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A261 Periodical contribution: Darwin, Francis. 1899. The botanical work of Darwin. Annals of Botany 13: ix-xix. Text

, which he was fond of quoting. Thus, too, he wrote to Asa Gray on being elected to the Botanical Section of the French Institute:—'It is rather a good joke that I should be elected in the Botanical Section, as the extent of my knowledge is little more than that a daisy is a compositous plant, and a pea a leguminous one2.' He was in fact guilty of evolution, but with extenuating botanical circumstances. It is perhaps not out of place to call attention, as I have done, to the poverty of professional

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A261 Periodical contribution: Darwin, Francis. 1899. The botanical work of Darwin. Annals of Botany 13: ix-xix. Text

two distinct individuals of the same species would thus get crossed; and the act of crossing, we have good reason to believe (as will hereafter be more fully alluded to), would produce very vigorous seedlings, which consequently would have the best chance of flourishing and surviving.' Its connexion, from another point of view, with the evolutionary work has already been made clear, and I have indicated its value as a demonstration of the efficiency of his theory of evolution as a guide in

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A411 Periodical contribution: Teisen, N. 1899. Menneskets Plads i Tilvaerelsen. Dansk Tidsskrift: 558-570. Text Image

Teisen, N. 1899. Menneskets Plads i Tilvaerelsen. Dansk Tidsskrift: 558-570 [page] 558 Menneskets Plads i Tilværelsen. Ovenanførte Titel er paa én Gang Fællestitel for en- Samling Kritiker og Studier af Prof. Andrew Seth, Professor i Filosofi ved Universitetet i Edinburgh, og speciel Titel for den første af disse Afhandlinger, en Fremstilling og Vurdering af Grundtankerne i en Forelæsning af afdøde Prof. Huxley om Udviklingslærens Moral (Evolution and Ethics, Romanes Lee- ture 1893). Da denne

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A261 Periodical contribution: Darwin, Francis. 1899. The botanical work of Darwin. Annals of Botany 13: ix-xix. Text

principally because of his irresistible desire to understand the machinery of living things. It is true that in elucidating the machinery he supplied the most brilliant evidence in favour of the validity of natural selection as the great moulding force in Nature. But I do not think this was his object, it was rather a by-product of work carried on for the love of doing it. It is true that he felt the importance of the evidence in regard to evolution, for he says:—'It will perhaps serve to show