EDITOR'S PREFACE TO THE NEW ENGLISH

EDITION.

THE "History of Creation" has been so much modified by its author, Professor Haeckel, in its successive German editions, and so much new matter introduced, that it was felt to be desirable that a new English edition of the work should be prepared. The translation of the new matter, which amounts to nearly half of the whole work, has been made by Miss Schmitz from the eighth German edition, published in 1889, and revised by me. The new portions of the work have been necessitated by the progress of knowledge since the appearance of the first English translation in 1876. They comprise an account of recent theories which have grown out of Darwin's great doctrine, and of many new results of investigations, such as those made by the naturalists of the Challenger Expedition, and others who, like Professor Haeckel himself, have taken part in describing the rich stores of zoological specimens brought home by H.M.S. Challenger.

The book in its present form cannot fail to interest all who have a taste for natural history. It may be safely trusted as an introduction to the study of modern biology, provided that the reader will remember that there are

matters of opinion and theory concerning which many naturalists do not hold quite the same views as those adopted by Professor Haeckel. He himself is careful to draw the reader's attention to the fact that many of his “pedigrees” and other suggestions are only provisional. I feel it due to myself to state that I do not agree with him as to a very large part of his views on classification, and as to his belief in the necessity of assuming the "transmissibility of acquired characters." Readers who have gained an interest in these questions from the brief statements of the present work must, without assuming that Professor Haeckel's judgment is final, go on to study for themselves the works of Weismann and others, which are mentioned with perfect fairness in these pages.

No work of the scope of the "History of Creation" could possibly satisfy every critic. It is a sufficient recommendation for it that it is the statement of the views of one of the most learned, experienced, and honoured naturalists of modern times, whose original monographs on Radiolaria, Sponges, and Jelly-fishes have been of immense importance to the progress of science, and have excited the admiration of his brother-naturalists throughout the world by the beauty of the innumerable drawings with which he has illustrated them, and by the extraordinary insight with which he has explained in their pages the most complicated structures.

Oxford, February, 1892.

E. RAY LANKESTER.

THE HISTORY OF CREATION.

CHAPTER I.

NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE DOCTRINE OF
FILIATION, OR DESCENT THEORY.

General Importance and Essential Nature of the Theory of Descent as re-
formed by Darwin.-Its Special Importance to Biology (Zoology and
Botany).-Its Special Importance to the History of the Natural Develop-
ment of the Human Race.-The Theory of Descent as the Non-Miraculous
History of Creation.-Idea of Creation.-Knowledge and Belief.-His-
tory of Creation and History of Development.-The Connection between
the History of Individual and Palæontological Development.—The
Theory of Purposelessness, or the Science of Rudimentary Organs.-
Useless and Superfluous Arrangements in Organisms.-Contrast between
the two entirely opposed Views of Nature: the Monistic (mechanical,'
causal) and the Dualistic (teleological, vital).-Proof of the former by
the Theory of Descent.-Unity of Organic and Inorganic Nature, and
the Identity of the Active Causes in both.-The Absolute Importance
of the Theory of Descent to the Monistic Conception of all Nature.
THE intellectual movement to which the impulse was given
thirty years ago, by the English naturalist, Charles Darwin
in his celebrated work, "On the Origin of Species," 1 has,
within this short period, assumed dimensions of unparalleled
depth and breadth. It is true the scientific theory set forth
in that work, which is commonly called briefly Darwinism,
is only a small fragment of a far more comprehensive
doctrine-a part of the universal Theory of Development,

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which embraces in its vast range the whole domain of human knowledge.

But the manner in which Darwin has firmly established the latter by the former is so convincing, and the direction which has been given by the unavoidable conclusions of that theory to all our views of the universe, must appear to every thinking man of such deep significance, that its general importance cannot be over-estimated. There is no doubt that this immense extension of our intellectual horizon must be looked upon as by far the most important, and rich in results, among all the numerous and grand advances which natural science has made in our day.

When our century, with justice, is called the age of natural science, when we look with pride upon the immensely important progress made in all its branches, we are generally in the habit of thinking more of immediate practical results, and less of the extension of our general knowledge of nature. We call to mind the complete reform, so infinitely rich in consequences to human intercourse, which has been effected by the development of machinery, by railways, steamships, telegraphs, and other inventions of physics. Or we think of the enormous influence which chemistry has brought to bear upon medicine, agriculture, and upon all arts and trades.

But much as we may value this influence of modern science upon practical life, still it must, estimated from a higher and more general point of view, stand most assuredly below the enormous influence which the theoretical progress of modern science will have on the entire range of human knowledge, on our conception of the universe, and on the perfecting of man's culture.