EightyearslaterHerbertSpencerpublishedanessaycontrastingthetheoriesofcreationandevolution——reasoningwithgreatforceinfavourofthelatter，showingthatspecieshadundoubtedlybeenmodifiedbycircumstances；butstillonlyfewandchosenmensawthesignificanceofalltheselinesofreasoningwhichhadbeenconvergingduringsomanyyearstowardoneconclusion。

　　OnJuly1，1858，therewerereadbeforetheLinnaeanSocietyatLondontwopapers——onepresentedbyCharlesDarwin，theotherbyAlfredRusselWallace——andwiththereadingofthesepapersthedoctrineofevolutionbynaturalselectionwasborn。Thenandthereafatalbreachwasmadeinthegreattheologicalbarrierofthecontinuedfixityofspeciessincethecreation。

　　Thestoryofthesepapersthescientificworldknowsbyheart：

　　howCharlesDarwin，havingbeensenttotheUniversityofCambridgetofithimfortheAnglicanpriesthood，leftitin1831

　　togouponthescientificexpeditionoftheBeagle；howforfiveyearshestudiedwithwonderfulvigourandacutenesstheproblemsoflifeasrevealedonlandandatsea——amongvolcanoesandcoralreefs，inforestsandonthesands，fromthetropicstothearcticregions；how，intheCapeVerdeandtheGalapagosIslands，andinBrazil，Patagonia，andAustraliaheinterrogatedNaturewithmatchlesspersistencyandskill；howhereturnedunheralded，quietlysettleddowntohiswork，andsoonsettheworldthinkingoveritsfirstpublishedresults，suchashisbookonCoralReefs，andthemonographontheCirripedia；and，finally，howhepresentedhispaper，andfolloweditupwithtreatiseswhichmadehimoneofthegreatleadersinthehistoryofhumanthought。

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