The present state of the question may be summed up in the following lines,—
Who was the father of mankind?
Adam saith Moses:
A monkey—Darwin supposes,
Quoth his pupils don’t you see;
A Bathybius it must be!
Although the theory of evolution is generally attributed to Mr. Darwin, it did not originate with him. Several philosophers have tried to explain the mystery of Creation on what are called scientific principles.
In 1848 a work named “Vestiges of Creation” appeared, in which the author surmises that, “all existing forms of living beings have been produced by the gradual modification of pre-existing species.”
NOTE
slimy substance dredged up from the depths of the N. Atlantic by the naturalists of the exploring ship Porcupine, which although formless, is said to have exhibited spontaneous movements. As the naturalists of the Challenger expedition failed to obtain any of this marvellous substance its reality is doubted. See Reports Brit. Asso.1877—9. Hæckels His. of Crea. &c.
