Mr. Darwin's view is based on a sound
knowledge of natural history, not only of recent
animals, but of those who have lived in former
times, and whose remains, more or less perfect,
handed down for our examination, prove the
existence of large and complete groups now
altogether lost—of many links connecting groups
now apparently without any mutual relations—
and even of some, the presence of which seems
to give additional complication to a problem
already almost beyond human power to unravel.

The method by which nature has acted,
according to Mr. Darwin, is by a natural selection
of animals and organs best litted to struggle
against all competitors in the great battle
everywhere fighting for food and existence. We
see throughout nature a marvellous and exquisite
adaptation of each part of all living beings
to every other part; and yet, at the same time,
there is in all, the utmost sensitiveness to
change, and tendency to individual variation.
No sooner is existence rendered more or less
difficult in any given area, than every inhabitant
of the district struggles to escape or take
advantage of it. If any have already an organisation
adapting them to benefit by it, they will
immediately do so, and drive out others; and
this struggle goes on as well from the high rate
at which all organic beings tend to increase, as
from the inevitable and invariable tendency to
change. As also there is in every race a
struggle to increase and become dominant, so is
there also a system of checks keeping it in its
proper place.

Variations being incessant, may be either
indifferent, advantageous, or injurious. The first
would manifestly not be affected by any principle
of natural selection, but such selection comes
into play for the preservation of the favourable
and the rejection and consequent destruction of
the unfavourable.

As man, in domesticating animals and plants,
and taking advantage of natural power of change
for his own purposes, has in so many cases
produced a great result in a moderate time, what
may not nature throughout all time?

Man can act only on external and visible
characters, nature cares nothing for appearances, except
in so far as they may be useful to any being. She
can act on every internal organ, on every shade of
constitutional difference, on the whole machinery of
life. Man selects only for his own good, nature only
for that of the being which she tends. Under
nature the slightest difference of structure or constitution
may well turn the nicely balanced scale in the
struggle for life, and so be preserved. . . . . . .
It may be said that natural selection is daily
and hourly scrutinising throughout the world every
variation, even the slightest, rejecting that which is
bad, preserving and adding up all that is good,
silently, and insensibly working whenever and
wherever opportunity offers at the improvement of
each being in relation to its conditions of life.*
* Darwin on the Origin of Species, pp. 83, 84.

Natural selection entails extinction, and then
explains the very important part that extinction
of species has acted in the world's history. It
also leads inevitably to divergence of character.
It is a great and most useful power in nature's
hands: or rather, perhaps, it is the simple
method of nature in accomplishing all that is
required for continuing the great cycle of
existence.

The view that seems to be advocated by
Professor Owen, in opposition to that of natural
selection as illustrated by Mr. Darwin, seems
hardly more natural and involves quite as many
difficulties. It is not easy to give it in simple
language, as it is derived from observations in
an obscure and only recently studied department
of natural history, and is illustrated by
animals little known to the general reader. We
believe that he holds the doctrine that changes
of surrounding influences, the operation of some
intermittent law at long intervals, and other
natural causes, may produce a divergence from an
original form, and terminate in the formation of
a new type. It is certain, however, that he
does not bind himself even to this hypothesis:
rather suggesting it as less objectionable than
as in itself sufficient.

The work commenced by De Maillet is still,
then, incomplete, and the mystery of creation
has yet to be solved. Whether, indeed, we
are much nearer the real solution than when
our author wrote, and whether the ideas
expressed more definitely are really more clear, is
not altogether certain. One thing, however,
seems certain: that the fit way to investigate
them as so many problems, is to question nature
closely, to experiment with nature as far as she
grants opportunity, and always to accept fairly
and openly the conclusions derived from such
investigations. We may not by these means
advance very rapidly, but we shall advance
surely; and there will be no fear of any check
occurring, to interfere with the progress of our
labour.

THE JAMAICA REVIVALS.

IN these days, who hears—or more than
hears—of poor Jamaica, once the fairy land of
fruits and spice and princes made of sugar? The
romance of the grand Western gold diggings
where the wheel of fortune ran in its easy
groove, has perished. Where are the nabob
merchants who were wont to settle their
mutual balances by the barrow-load of Spanish
gold? Alas! the picture drawn of the
present miserable condition of Jamaica, by that
clever and penetrating observer, Anthony Trollope,
is only too true. All we now hear of
it, is through a few short sentences, trite as
a telegram, formally quoting its meteorological
variations, the market price of its imported
supplies, and the depreciated value of its dwindling
productions. Of its political condition we
learn little beyond the frequent fact of its
legislature being in a state of noisy confusion;
while the members of its executive are as
often at variance with one another. Of the
actual position of its complex classes and their