The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-01-08
Agassiz on Darwinism.

Agassiz on Darwinism.
His Last Written yVOrIE-The Article In
the {" Atlantic y on Evolution.
Professor Agassiz has long been
known as an unbeliever in Darwinism,
and the incorporating enunciation Of
his views which is to appear in the Jan
uary Atlantic, although it defines his
position more clearly, will surprise no
student of his works. In this essay |
Professor Agassiz gave synopsis of his |
reasons fer not holding the Darwinian
doctrines, preparatory to a more de-
tailed statement which he intended to
make In future numbers of the maya
zine. This sketch the great naturalist
viii never complete, and to its scientific
value il added the melancholy interest
of being the last finished work FROM the
hand to which the students and lovers
of natural science owe so much
1t b gins by saying that "The law
of evolution, so far as its working is
understood, is law controlling devel-
opment and keeping types within APP
pointed cycles of growth, which revolve
forever upon themselves, returning at
appointed intervals to the same starting
point and repeating through success
sion of phases the same course. These
cycles have never been known to oscil-
late or to pass into each other; indeed,
the only structural difference known be-
tween individuals Of the same stock are
monstrosities or peculiarities pertaining
to sex, and the latter are as abiding
and permanent as type itself" His
next assertion is that no primary divi-
sion of the animal kingdom Will stand
which will not bear the test applied by
Cuvier to his four great groups, Radi-
ate, Mollusks, Articulates, and Verte-
brates that is to say, the test of a
DISTINCT plan of structure for each.
The article then briefly reviews the
different books published by Darwin,
and says that the " Pangenesis in
which the whole theory is summarized,
does not prove more conolusively
what was already known-namely, that
all domesticated animals and Guilt
waited plants are traceable to distinct
species, and that the domesticated
pigeons which furnish so large a por-
ton of the illustration are, notwith-
standing their great diversity under
special treatment, no exception to this
rule" The review closes with the asser-
ton that the greater part of the argu-
ment, both with Darwin and his follow
ers is purely negative, and rests partly
upon the assumption that Sin the sue
cession of ages, just these transition
types have dropped out from the geo.
logical record which would have proved
the DarwiniaE conclusions, had these
types been preserved, and that, in the
living animal, the process of transition
is too subtitle for detection, thus throw.
ing off the responsibility of proof with
respect to embryonic growth and geo.
logical succession"
Concerning the famous discovery
made by Lowaleysky of the presence il
the Ascidians of string of cells was
previously known to naturalists, and
that he himself had intended to say
something of their nature and position
} had he not been anticipated by YoI
Baer, who has recently published 6
pamphlet upon the development of the
Ascidians as compared with the Verte-
brates, in which pamphlets he show
that the string of cells runs along the
ventral side of the body of the Ascidi
ans, and that their development has nc
true homology with that of the Yerte
brates. ''To say that the first Verte
brates or their progenitors carried thei
+ backbones in this manner" said profes
, sor Agassiz, sis about as reasonable al
: to say that they walked ON their heads.
> The doctrine Of Haeckel, that star
! fishes are compound animals, made up
as il were, of worm-like beings, uniteC
like rays in one organism, doctrini
, which, if true, would establish tran
sition from Radiates to Artioulates, i
2 pronounced to be all assumption, with
{, out foundation in the structure of tn
r starhsh. The arms of these animal
t being made up of the same parts as tn
3 vertical zones of all Radiates, and an
{ ranged around vertical axis, can no
: be compared to those of any ArticuIate
: in which class the parts are arrange,
. along a longitudinal axis.
The topics of metamorphosis, heredi
tary and natural succession, are yer.
briefly considered, and the article close
6 with consideration of the geologica
3 side of the question, in which ground i
3 taken against the theory of transmits
sion, since the whole history of geolog
: ical succession shows that the loves
! in structure is by no means earliest i
, time, and since, therefore, it may b
| said that great diversity of types ha
, existed from the beginning.
, VARIETY OF FooD.-The Scientif
: American is of the opinion that we re
quire variety in our food. Il silys ez
Perience has proved that, 70
some reason unknown to science
variety Is essential to health afte
! reaching the age when We are free {
choose our food. The perpetual recu1
renee Of the same edibles, even thouel
3 their number be considerable, become
in all periods Of life. except infancy
: not only weagisome, but positively iniu
rious. Salt pork. salt fish and potatoes
r with pies, poor bread and Japan tea
= are the staple food for thousands Of fam
. lies during our long winters. II shoul'
a be understood how needfui change c
r diet IS from time to time. Fresh vegs