The Passing of Evolution 11 ventured the opinion that these were the same as Spencer’s “vitalized molecules” in which dwelt an “intrinsic aptitude to aggregate into the forms” of the species, Spencer came out at once and said that it was no such thing. They were not at all alike. Darwin, in reply, said he was sorry for the mistake. But he had feared that as he did not know exactly what Spencer meant by his “vitalized molecules,” a charge of pla- giarism might be brought against him if he did not give Spen- cer due credit. But others seemed to find it as hard to under- stand what Darwin meant by his “gemmules” with their mar- velous mutual “affinity” for each other, as he did what Spencer meant by “vitalized molecules.” Bates wrote him that after reading the chapter twice he failed to understand i t ; and Sir H. Holland set it down as “very tough,” while Hooker and Huxley thought the language was mere tautology, and both failed “to gain a distinct idea” from it. ( “Letters of Darwin,” Vol. ii., p. 262.) Indeed, thoroughgoing evolution has no such universal ac- ceptance as is frequently represented to be the case. Few naturalists are willing to project the theory beyond the narrow limits of their own province. Such naturalists as Asa Gray and Alfred Russel Wallace, who in a general way accepted the main propositions of Darwinism, both insisted that natural selection could attain its ends only as giving effect to the designs of the Creator. Agassiz, Owen, Mivart, Sir William Dawson, and Weissmann either rejected the hypothesis alto- gether or so modified it that it bore little resemblance to the original. Professor Shaler declared, shortly before his death, “that the Darwinian hypothesis is still unverified.” Dr. Etheride of the British Museum says that “in all this great museum there is not a particle of evidence of transmutation of species.” Professor Virchow of Berlin declared that “the attempt to find the transition from the animal to man has ended in total failure.” . The list could be extended indefinitely. Haeckel, indeed, had from his imagination supplied the miss-
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