e I must break off, after dealing with a page and a half of the Duke
of Argyll's article. A state of health which has prevented me from
publishing anything since "The Factors of Organic Evolution," now nearly
two years ago, prevents me from carrying the matter further. Could I
have pursued the argument it would, I believe, have been practicable to
show that various other positions taken up by the Duke of Argyll do not
admit of effectual defence. But whether or not this is probable, the
reader must be left to judge for himself. On one further point only will
I say a word; and this chiefly because, if I pass it by, a mistaken
impression of a serious kind may be diffused. The Duke of Argyll
represents me as "giving up" the "famous phrase" "survival of the
fittest," and wishing "to abandon it." He does this because I have
pointed out that its words have connotations against which we must be on
our guard, if we would avoid certain distortions of thought. With equal
propriety he might say that an astronomer abandons the statement that
the planets move in elliptic orbits, because he warns his readers that
in the heavens there exist no such things as orbits, but that the
planets sweep on through a pathless void, in directions perpetually
changed by gravitation.

I regret that I should have had thus to dissent so entirely from various
of the statements made, and conclusions drawn, by the Duke of Argyll,
because, as I have already implied, I think he has done good service by
raising afresh the question he has dealt with. Though the advantages
which he hopes may result from the discussion are widely unlike the
advantages which I hope may result from it, yet we agree in the belief
that advantages may be looked for.

END OF VOL. I.

* * * * *

Transcriber's note

The following changes have been made to the text:

Page 21: "heterogeenity" changed to "heterogeneity".

Page 47: "multipled results" changed to "multiplied results".

Page 59: "pre-Raffaelites" changed to "pre-Raphaelites".

Page 84: "heretogeneity" changed to "heterogeneity".

Page 94: "observedcoexistences" changed to "observed coexistences".

Page 97: "Cirrhipoedia" changed to "Cirrhipedia".

Page 108: "prima facie" changed to "prima facie".

Page 112: "a fortiori" changed to "a fortiori".

Page 124: "irreconcileable" changed to "irreconcilable".

Page 140: "some thing like double" changed to "something like double".