try to fit the pieces into the larger, and failing to do this with exactitude, conclude of the problem, as the reviewer does of the theory, that it is "an ingenious and plausible speculation, marking at once the ignorance of the age and the ability of the philosopher."

who believe in its imperfection, and many boy guileless of mathematics set himself to of the other school, accept the theories test the 47th proposition of the book of both of evolution and natural selection, Euclid, by constructing paper squares corwholly or in part, there is no doubt responding to the sides of a right-angled but Mr. Darwin claims the great majority triangle, then, cutting up the small squares, of geologists. Of these, one is in himself a host, the veteran Sir Charles Lyell, who, having first devoted whole chapters of the first editions of his Principles' to establishing the doctrine of especial creations, abandons it in the tenth, and this too on the showing of a pupil; for, in the dedication of his earliest work, The Naturalist's Voyage,' to Sir Charles Lyell, Mr. Darwin states that the chief part of whatever merit himself or his works possess, has been derived from studying the Principles of Geology.' I know no brighter example of heroism, of its kind, than this, of an author thus abandoning, late in life, a theory which he had for forty years regarded as the very foundation of a work that had given him the highest position attainable among scientific writers. Well may he be proud of a superstructure raised on the foundations of an insecure doctrine, when he finds that he can underpin it, substitute a new foundation, and, after all is finished, survey his edifice, not only more secure, but harmonious in its proportions, than it was before; for assuredly the biological chapters of the tenth edition of the Principles' are more in harmony with the doctrine of slow changes in the history of our planet than were their counterparts in the former editions.

The most formidable argument urged by the reviewer is, that "the age of the inhabited world, as calculated by solar physics, is proved to have heen limited to a period wholly inconsistent with Darwin's views." This would be a valid objection, if these views depended on those of one school of geologists, and if the 500,000,000 years, which the reviewer adopts as the age of the world, were, as an approximate estimate, accepted by either astronomers or physicists. But, in the first place, the reviewer assumes that the rate of change in the condition of the earth's surface was vastly more rapid at the beginning than now, and has gradually slackened since; but overlooks the consequence that, according to all Mr. Darwin's principles, the operations of natural selection must in such cases have been formerly correspondingly more rapid; and in the second, are these speculations as to the solidity of the earth's crust, dating back over 500,000,000 years, to be depended upon? In his great work the author quoted gives as possible limits 20,000,000 or 400,000,000

habitable globe an age far exceeding the longest of these periods. Surely in estimates of such a nature as the above, that are calculated from dates that are themselves hypothetical in a great degree, there are no principles upon which we are warranted in assuming the speculation of the astronomer to be more worthy of confidence than those of the biologist.

To the astronomer's objections to these theories I turn with diffidence; they are al-years, and other philosophers assign to the most vehemently urged in what is in many respects the cleverest critique of them that I have hitherto met with, and which appeared in the North British Review. It is anonymous. I am ignorant of its author, and I regret to find that, in common with the few other really able hostile critiques, it is disfigured by a dogmatism that contrasts unfavourably with Mr. Darwin's considerate treatment of his opponents' methods and conclusions. The author starts, if I read him aright, by professing his unfamiliarity with the truth ‍and extent of the facts upon which the theories of evolution and natural selection are founded, and goes on to say that "the superstructure based on them may be discussed apart from all doubts as to the fundamental facts." The liberty thus to discuss no one may dispute or curtail, but the biologist will ask, to what end can such discussion lead? Who would attach much weight to the verdict of a judge passed on evidence of which he knew neither the truth nor the extent? As well might a

A former most distinguished President, and himself an astronomer, Prof. Whewell, has said of astronomy that it is not one of the lessons of science, but the one of perfect science, the only branch of human knowledge in which we are able fully and clearly to interpret Nature's oracles, so that by that which we have tried we receive a prophecy of that which is untried." Now, while fully admitting, and proudly as every scientific man ought, that astronomy is the most certain in its methods and results of all sciences, that she has called forth some of the highest efforts of the intellect, and that her results far transcend in grandeur the

Prehistoric archæology now offers to lead

of any other science, I think we may hesitate | 5,874 years as the age of the inhabited before we therefore admit her queenship, her globe. perfection, or her sole claims to interpretation and to prophecy. Her methods are us where man has hitherto not ventured to mathematics; she may call geometry and tread. Can we, while pursuing this inquiry, algebra her handmaidens, but she is none separate its physical from its spiritual asthe less their slave. No science is really pect, will be the uppermost thought in perfect certainly not that which lately the minds of many here present. To sepaerred 2,000,000 miles in so fundamental a rate them, I believe, is indeed impossible; datum as the earth's distance from the sun. but to search out common truths that underHave Faraday and Von Heer interpreted lie both is permitted to all. It has been well no oracles of nature fully and clearly? said of all truth by Mr. Disraeli, that "It Have Cuvier and Dalton not prophesied and is the sovereign passion of mankind." And been true prophets? Claims to queenship it should be emphatically so in the minds do not accord with the spirit of science; engaged in this search, where religion and rather would I liken the domain of natural science should speak peace to one another, knowledge to a hive, in which every comb if they are to walk hand in hand in this our is a science, and Truth the one queen over day and generation. them all.

friendly. During the first decades of my scientific life the word science was rarely, within my experience, heard in the pulpits of these islands; during the succeeding, when the influence of the Reliquiæ Diluvianæ' and the Bridgewater Treatises' was still felt, I often heard, and always welcomed it. But now, of late years, science is more frequently named than ever; but too often with dislike or fear than with trust and welcome.

A great deal has been said and written It remains to say a few words on some of late about the respective attitudes of reprospects which this Norwich meeting ligion and science; and my predecessor, the opens. A new science has dawned upon Duke of Buccleuch, dwelt on it in his Adus-the early history of mankind. Pre- dress last year with great good sense and historic archæology (including as it does good taste, and pointed out how much the the origin of language and of art) is the progress of knowledge depended on this latest to rise of a series of luminaries that attitude being mutually considerate and have dispelled the mists of ages and replaced time-honoured traditions by scientific truths. Astronomy, if not the queen, yet the earliest of sciences, first snatched the torch from the hands of dogmatic teachers, tore up the letter and cherished the spirit of the law. Geology next followed, but not till two centuries had elapsed, nor indeed till this our day, succeeded in divesting religious teaching of many cobwebs of scientific error. It has told us that animal and vegetable life preceded the appearThe Rev. Dr. Hannah, in an eloquent ance of man on the globe not by days, but and candid contribution to the Contempoby myriads of years; and how late this rary Review (No. 21, September, 1867), knowledge came we may gather, from the has quoted a long list of eminent clergyfact that the late Mr. Lawrence, in his Lec-men of all denominations who have adorned tures delivered so late as 1818, says of the extinct races of animals, "that their living existence has been supposed, with considerable probability, to be of older date than the formation of the human race." And, last of all, this new science proclaims man himself to have inhabited this earth for, perhaps, many thousands of years before the historic period- -a result little expected less than thirty years ago, when the Rev. W. V. Harcourt, in his address to the Association at Birmingham (Reports,' p. 17), observed that "Geology points to the conclusion that the time during which mankind existed on the globe cannot materially differ from that assigned by Scripture," referring, I need not say, to the so-called Scripture chronology, which has no warrant in the Old Testament, and which gives

science by their writings and religion by their lives. I do not ignore their contributions, still less do I overlook the many brilliant examples there are of educated preachers who give to science the respect due to it. But Dr. Hannah omits to observe that the majority of these honoured contributors were not religious teachers in the ordinary sense of the word, nor does he tell us in what light many of their scientific writings were regarded by a large body of their brother clergymen - those resident in the country especially- from whose pulpits alone an overwhelming proportion of the population ever heard the name of science.

In return, let each pursue the search for truth the archæologist into the physical, the religious teacher into the spiritual history and condition of mankind. It will be

From The Spectator.

NOTES FROM THE SCOTTISH ISLES.

II. -LOCH SCRESORT.

many a poor household would perish of starvation.

Starvation, however, does not seem the order of the day in Loch Scresort. On VIEWED in the soft sparkling light of a wind- landing, and making for the first hut at less summer morning, Loch Scresort is as hand, we find the cow, with her calf by her sweet a little nook as ever Ulysses mooned side, tethered a few yards from the dwellaway a day in during his memorable voy-ing, two pigs wallowing in the peat mire age homeward. Though merely a small close by, and at least a dozen cocks, hens, bay, about a mile in breadth, and curving and chickens running to and fro across the inland for a mile and a half, it is quite shel- threshold, where a fresh, well-fed matron, tered from all winds save the east, being with a fine smile for the stranger, salutes flanked to the south and west by Haskeval us in the Gaelic speech. With that fine and Hondeval, and guarded on the north-old grace of hospitality which has fled for ern side by a low range of heathery slopes. ever from busier scenes, she leads us into In this sunny time the sheep are bleating her cottage. abut" and a "ben." from the shores, the yacht lies double, The apartment into which we are shown, yacht and shadow, and the still bay is despite the damp earthen floor and milpainted richly with the clear reflection of dewy walls, is quite a palace for the Highthe hills. On the northern point of the lands; for it has a wooden press bed, loch, where the old red sandstone is piled in wooden chairs and table, and a rude cuptorn fantastic heaps high over the sea, board, shapen like a wardrobe; and the gulls innumerable sit and bask. "Croak! walls are adorned, moreover, by a penny croak!" cries the monstrous hooded crow at almanack and a picture cut out of the Illustheir backs, perched like an evil spirit on trated London News. Drink for the gods the very head of the cliffs, and squinting is speedily handed round, in the shape of fiercely at the far-off sheep. A bee drones foaming bowls of new milk fresh from the drowsily past the yacht, completing the udder- -a cup of welcome invariably ofsense of stillness and pastoral life. fered to the traveller in any Highland Scattered along the southern side of the dwelling that can afford it. A few friendly bay are a few poor cottages, rudely built words warm up the good woman's heart, of stone and roofed with peat turfs, and at and she begins to prattle and to question. the head of the loch is a comfortable white-She is a childless widow, and her "man washed house, the abode of Captain Macleod of Dunvegan, the tenant of the island. There is, moreover, a rude stone pier, where a small vessel might lie secure in any weather, and off which a battered old brigantine is even now unloading oatmeal and flour. Casting loose the punt, we row over to the vessel, and begin a chat with the shrewd-looking old skipper, who is superintending the passage of the sacks into a skiff alongside. In that extraordinary dialect called Gaelic-English, which may be described as a wild mingling of Gaelic, bad Irish, and Lowland Scotch, he gives us to understand that he is at once the owner and master of his craft, and that he cruises from island to island during the summer, bartering his cargo of food for whatever marketable commodities the poor folk of the place may have prepared. His great trade is with the fishers, who pay him in dried fish, chiefly ling and cod; but all is fish that comes to his net, and can be any-way rejoicing. how cashed in the South. Doubtless the Casting our eyes up the hill as we leave odds of the bargains are quite on his side. In answer to our queries as to the general condition of the islanders, he shakes his grey head dismally, and gives us to understand that but for him, and such as him,

was drowned. She dwells here all alone; for all her relatives have emigrated to Canada, where she hopes some day to join them. On hearing that we have passed through Glasgow, she asks eagerly if we know a woman called Maggie, who sells eggs; the woman's surname she does not remember, but we must have noticed her, as she is splay-footed and has red hair. She has never been further south than Eig, and hence her notion of big cities. She longs very much to see Tobermory and its great shops, also to look up a distant kinsman, who has flourished there in trade. She tells us much of the laird and his family - the "folk in the big house;" they are decent, pious people, and kind to the poor. Will she sell us some eggs? Well, she has not heard the price of eggs this season, but will let us have some at fivepence a dozen. She loads the pilot with a basketful of monsters, and we go on our

the cottage, we meet a pair of steadfast eyes regarding us over a knoll a few yards distant; and lo! the head and antlers of a noble stag, a veritable red deer from the peaks. He has wandered down to prey