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DARWINISM AND ASTRONOMY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—After the many solid arguments adduced in your late admirable and most welcome notices of Mr. Charles Darwin's recent work, I should like to make only one suggestion. Mr. Darwin's theory requires us to believe that animal life existed on this globe at a period when, according to a theory much more plausible than his, the earth and all the planets with the sun constituted but one diffused nebula. Astronomers really have some data on which to found this theory of theirs, since marked variations in the conformation of several nebulae within historic times are now on record; whereas all the variations which Mr. Darwin has been able to point out in species, and especially in man, within the same limits of time are either zero or of an extremely nebulous character.

I remain, Sir, yours faithfully,

ASTRONOMICUS.

April10.