Evening star., 1959-11-22
By LEONARD CARMICHAEL

Secretary Of the Smithsonian Institution
One hundred years ago next
Tuesday a small green volume was
offered for sale in England for is
shillings. Just 1850 copies Of the
book had been printed and pub
lished. To the surprise of the
author it sold out at once. The
full title of this volume was
On the Origin of Species BY
Means of Natural Selection or
the Preservation of FdUored Races
IN the Struggle for Life. 1t was
by Charles Darwin, MA.
This factually amazing and
clearly organized book shook the
then seemingly solid foundations
of the intellectual world. Directly
and indirectly it did much to
change the whole accepted pat
tern of modern thought in regard
to the formation Of the solar
system, the establishment Of the
mountains and seas of the earth
and the development of all the
living organisms Of the globe.
Darwin's book emphasized the
evolution of plants and animals.
Before this volume appeared
most established scientists held
that all the species dealt with in
natural history were immutable
and unchanging. This was true,
for example. of the references to
organisms in Lyell's great Prin-
ciples of Geology which meant
much to Darwin himself. 1t was
also true Of the influential writings
of Louis AgaSsiz, the eminent
Swiss American biologist who
founded the Museum of Compare
tive Zoology at Harvard Univer-
sity, also century ago this year.
importance Of the Cruise
When young Darwin started on
his five-year world cruise as
official naturalist on the 235-ton
vessel, the Beagle, in 1881 he
himself thus had no reason to
doubt the fixed nature of all
species of living things. This was
true in spite of the fact that be-
for his time certain aspects Of
the general idea of evolution had
been suggested. Some of the Greek
philosophers, such as Thales and
Empedocles, had proposed the
conception of gradual develop
ment in nature. So did the Roman
poet Lucretius. In the 18th CEN
tury the French scientist Button
attested his belief in the develop
ment of species. This view was
further advanced by Lamarck in
a speculative way in the early
years of the 10Th century.
Lamarck'S special view Of the i'm
portance in evolution of the en-
vironmentally determined altera-
tions in adults still has warm
supporters, especially in Russia.
The great German poet Goethe
wrote in a remarkably modern
way about some of the progressive
transformations of nature. In
England, too, before the end of
the 18th century DR.. Erasmus
Darwin in a book, Zoonomia, an
ticipated some Of the evolutionary
views Of his famous grandson. In
spite of these essentially specu-
lative foreshadowings it was the
hard scientific evidence set forth
in Origin Of Species that was to
change the basic view of the
leaders of the intellectual world.
Today it seems almost an acci-
dent that this amazing book came
to be written at all. Charles Dar-
win was born in 1909. His father
was a physician and his mother
was the daughter of Josiah Wedg-
wood, the famous English potter.
The young scientist first studied
medicine at Edinburgh and then,
moving to Cambridge University,
began the study Of theology. While
at Cambridge, however, his in
terest more and more turned to
natural history. AS a result of his
knowledge Of plants and animals,
and through a friends interven-
ton, Darwin was suddenly offered
the position of naturalist on the
Beagle. The long trip on this YES
sci gave him an opportunity to
observe animals and plants under