Produced by Steven Gibbs, Keith Edkins and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net ON THE GENESIS OF SPECIES. [Illustration] ON THE GENESIS OF SPECIES. BY ST. GEORGE MIVART, F.R.S. London: MACMILLAN AND CO. 1871. [_The Right of Translation and Reproduction is reserved._] LONDON: R. CLAY, SONS, AND TAYLOR, PRINTERS, BREAD STREET HILL. * * * * * TO SIR HENRY HOLLAND, BART., M.D., F.R.S., D.C.L., ETC. ETC. MY DEAR SIR HENRY, In giving myself the pleasure to dedicate, as I now do, this work to you, it is not my intention to identify you with any views of my own advocated in it. I simply avail myself of an opportunity of paying a tribute of esteem and regard to my earliest scientific friend--the first to encourage me in pursuing the study of nature. I remain, MY DEAR SIR HENRY, Ever faithfully yours, ST. GEORGE MIVART. 7, NORTH BANK, REGENT'S PARK, _December 8, 1870._ {vii} * * * * * CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. _INTRODUCTORY_ The problem of the genesis of species stated.--Nature of its probable solution.--Importance of the question.--Position here defended.--Statement of the DARWINIAN THEORY.--Its applicability to details of geographical distribution; to rudimentary structures; to homology; to mimicry, &c.--Consequent utility of the theory.--Its wide acceptance.--Reasons for this other than, and in addition to, its scientific value. Its simplicity.--Its bearing on religious questions.--_Odium theologicum_ and _odium antitheologicum_.--The antagonism supposed by many to exist between it and theology neither necessary nor universal.--Christian authorities in favour of evolution.--Mr. Darwin's "Animals and Plants under Domestication."--Difficulties of the Darwinian theory enumerated ... _Page_ 1 CHAPTER II. _THE INCOMPETENCY OF "NATURAL SELECTION" TO ACCOUNT FOR THE INCIPIENT STAGES OF USEFUL STRUCTURES._ Mr. Darwin supposes that Natural-Selection acts by slight variations.--These must be useful at once.--Difficulties as to the giraffe; as to mimicry; as to the heads of flat-fishes; as to the origin and constancy of the vertebrate, limbs; as to whalebone; as to the young kangaroo; as to sea-urchins; as to certain processes of {viii} metamorphosis; as to the mammary gland; as to certain ape characters; as to the rattlesnake and cobra; as to the process of formation of the eye and ear; as to the fully developed condition of the eye and ear; as to the voice; as to shell-fish; as to orchids; as to ants.--The necessity for the simultaneous modification of many individuals.--Summary and conclusion ... _Page_ 23 CHAPTER III. _THE CO-EXISTENCE OF CLOSELY SIMILAR STRUCTURES OF DIVERSE ORIGIN._