he three
writers to whom we owe the older or teleological view of evolution, I
will now compare that view more closely with the theory of Mr. Darwin
and Mr. Wallace, to whom, in spite of my profound difference of opinion
with them on the subject of natural selection, I admit with pleasure
that I am under deep obligation. For the sake of brevity, I shall take
Lamarck as the exponent of the older view, and Mr. Darwin as that of the
one now generally accepted.

We have seen, that up to a certain point there is very little difference
between Lamarck and Mr. Darwin. Lamarck maintains that animals and
plants vary: so does Mr. Darwin. Lamarck maintains that variations
having once arisen have a tendency to be transmitted to offspring and
accumulated: so does Mr. Darwin. Lamarck maintains that the accumulation
of variations, so small, each one of them, that it cannot be, or is not
noticed, nevertheless will lead in the course of that almost infinite
time during which life has existed upon earth, to very wide differences
in form, structure, and instincts: so does Mr. Darwin. Finally, Lamarck
declares that all, or nearly all, the differences which we observe
between various kinds of animals and plants are due to this exceedingly
gradual and imperceptible accumulation, during many successive
generations, of variations each one of which was in the outset small: so
does Mr. Darwin. But in the above we have a complete statement of the
fact of evolution, or descent with modification--wanting nothing, but
entire, and incapable of being added to except in detail, and by way of
explanation of the causes which have brought the fact about. As regards
the general conclusion arrived at, therefore, I am unable to detect any
difference of opinion between Lamarck and Mr. Darwin. They are both bent
on establishing the theory of evolution in its widest extent.

The late Sir Charles Lyell, in his 'Principles of Geology,' bears me out
here. In a note to his _resume_ of the part of the 'Philosophie
Zoologique' which bears upon evolution, he writes:--

"I have reprinted in this chapter word for word my abstract of Lamarck's
doctrine of transmutation, as drawn up by me in 1832 in the first
edition of the 'Principles of Geology.'[333] I have thought it right to
do this in justice to Lamarck, in order to show how nearly the opinions
taught by him at the commencement of this century resembled those now in
vogue amongst a large body of naturalists respec