, London, 1887.

"Charles Darwin": His life told in an Autobiographical Chapter, and in
a selected series of his published Letters. Edited by his son, Francis
Darwin, London, 1902.

"More Letters of Charles Darwin". A record of his work in a series of
hitherto unpublished Letters. Edited by Francis Darwin and A.C. Seward,
2 Vols., London, 1903.

I. INTRODUCTORY LETTER From Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, O.M., G.C.S.I.,
C.B., M.D., D.C.L., LL.D., F.R.S., ETC.

The Camp,

near Sunningdale,

January 15, 1909.

Dear Professor Seward,

The publication of a Series of Essays in Commemoration of the century
of the birth of Charles Darwin and of the fiftieth anniversary of the
publication of "The Origin of Species" is assuredly welcome and is a
subject of congratulation to all students of Science.

These Essays on the progress of Science and Philosophy as affected by
Darwin's labours have been written by men known for their ability to
discuss the problems which he so successfully worked to solve. They
cannot but prove to be of enduring value, whether for the information of
the general reader or as guides to investigators occupied with problems
similar to those which engaged the attention of Darwin.

The essayists have been fortunate in having for reference the five
published volumes of Charles Darwin's Life and Correspondence. For there
is set forth in his own words the inception in his mind of the problems,
geological, zoological and botanical, hypothetical and theoretical,
which he set himself to solve and the steps by which he proceeded to
investigate them with the view of correlating the phenomena of life with
the evolution of living things. In his letters he expressed himself in
language so lucid and so little burthened with technical terms that they
may be regarded as models for those who were asked to address themselves
primarily to the educated reader rather than to the expert.

I may add that by no one can the perusal of the Essays be more vividly
appreciated than by the writer of these lines. It was my privilege for
forty years to possess the intimate friendship of Charles Darwin and to
be his companion during many of his working hours in Study, Laboratory,
and Garden. I was the recipient of letters from him, relating mainly to
the progress of his researches, the copies of which (the originals are
now in the possession of his family) cover upwards of a thousand pages
of foolscap, each page containing,