For some time after the publication of the _Origin of Species_ Mivart appears to be almost the only man of science fully alive to the weak points of the Darwinian theory. The great majority seem to have been dazzled by its brilliancy. The main attack on Darwinism was conducted by the theologians and their allies, who considered it to be subversive of the Mosaic account of the Creation. Now, when one whose scientific knowledge is, to say the best of it, not extensive, attacks a man who has studied his subject dispassionately for years, and invariably expresses himself with extreme caution, the onslaught can have but one result—the attacker will be repulsed with heavy loss, and the onlookers will have a higher opinion of his valour than of his common sense. The theologians were in the unfortunate position of warriors who do not know what it is against which they are fighting; they confounded natural selection with evolution, and directed the main force of their attack against the latter, under the impression that they were fighting the Darwinian theory. It was the misfortune of those theologians that it is possible to prove that evolution, or, at any rate, some evolution has occurred; they thus kicked against the pricks with disastrous results to themselves. When this attack had been repulsed men believed that the theory of natural selection had been demonstrated, that it was as much a law of nature as that of gravitation. What had really happened was that the fact of evolution had been proved, and the theory of natural selection obtained the credit. Men thought that Darwinism was evolution. Had the theologians admitted evolution but denied the ability of natural selection to explain it, the Darwinian theory, in all probability, would not have gained the ascendency which it now enjoys. Evolution and Natural Selection To us who are able to look back dispassionately upon the biological warfare of the last century, Darwin’s opponents—or the majority of them—appear very foolish. We must, however, bear in mind that at the time of the publication of the _Origin of Species_ both natural selection and evolution were comparatively unknown ideas. Darwin had to fight for both. He had to prove evolution as well as natural selection. Many of the facts adduced by him supported both. It is, therefore, not altogether surprising that many of his opponents failed to distinguish between them. A glance at the _Origin of Species_ will suffice to show how considerable is the portion of the book that deals with the evidence in favour of evolution rather than of natural selection.