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he read his first scientific paper, and at Cambridge he of his wife. For eight years (1846 to 1854) he was chiefly gained the friendship of much older scientific men—Grant engaged upon four monographs on the recent and fossil and Macgillivray at the former, Henslow and Sedgwick at Cirripede Crustacea (Hay Soc., 1851 and 1854; Palceontothe latter. He had two terms’ residence to keep after graph. Soc., 1851 and 1854). Towards the close of this passing his last examination, and studied geology with work Darwin became very wearied of it, especially of the Sedgwick. Returning from their geological excursion to- synonymy. For a time he hoped to start a movement gether in North Wales (August 1831), he found a letter from which should discourage the habit of appending the name Henslow urging him to apply for the position of naturalist of the describer to the name of the species, a custom which on the Beagle, about to start on a surveying expedition. he thought led to bad and superficial work. From this His father at first disliked the idea, but his uncle, Josiah time he was engaged upon the numerous lines of inquiry Wedgwood, pleaded with success, and Darwin started on wrhich led to the great work of his life, the Origin of December 27, 1831, the voyage lasting until October 2, Species, published in November 1859. Soon after opening his note-book in July 1837, he began 1836. It is practically certain that he never left Great Britain after this latter date. After visiting the Cape de to collect facts bearing upon the formation of the breeds Verde and other Atlantic Oceanic islands, they surveyed on of domestic animals and plants, and quickly saw “that the South American coasts and adjacent islands (including selection was the keystone of man’s success. But how the Galapagos), afterwards visiting Tahiti, New Zealand, selection could be applied to organisms living in a state Australia, Tasmania, Keeling of nature remained for some Island, Maldives, Mauritius, time a mystery to me.” St Helena, Ascension; and Various ideas as to the causes Brazil, de Verdes, and Azores of evolution occurred to him, only to be successively abanon the wTay home. His work on the geology of the countries doned. He had the idea visited, and that on coral of “laws of change” which islands, became the subject affected species and finally led to their extinction, to some of volumes which he published after his return, as extent analogous to the causes well as his Journal of a which bring about the deNaturalist, and his other convelopment, maturity, and tributions to the official narfinally death of an individual. rative. The voyage must be He also had the conception regarded as the real preparthat species must give rise ation for his life-work. His to other species or else die observations on the relation out, just as an individual between animals in islands dies unrepresented if it bears and those of the nearest conno offspring. These and other tinental areas, near akin and ideas, of which traces exist yet not the same, and between in his Diary, arose in his mind, living animals and those most together with perhaps some recently extinct and found general conception of natural fossil in the same country, selection, during the fifteen here again related but not the months after the opening of same, led him even then to his notebook. In October reflect deeply upon the modi1838 he read Malthus on fication of species. He had Population, and his observaalso been much impressed by tions having long since con“ the manner in which closely vinced him of the struggle allied animals replace one for existence, it at once struck another in proceeding southhim “that under these cirwards ” in South America. cumstances favourable variaCHARLES ROBERT DARWIN. On his return home Darwin tions would tend to be (From a photograph by Elliott & Fry, London.) worked at his collections, first preserved, and unfavourable at Cambridge for three months and then in London. His ones to be destroyed. The result of this would be the pocket-book for 1837 contains the words: “In July opened formation of new species. Here, then, I had a theory first notebook on Transmutation of Species. Had been by which to work.” In June 1842 he wrote out a sketch, greatly struck from about the month of previous March which two years later he expanded to an essay occupying [while still on the voyage and just over twenty-eight years 231 pages folio. The idea of progressive divergence as an old] on character of South American fossils, and species advantage in itself, because the competition is most severe on Galapagos Archipelago. These facts (especially latter) between organisms most closely related, did not occur to origin of all my views.” From 1838 to 1841 he was him until long after he had come to Down. During the secretary of the Geological Society, and saw a great deal growth of the Origin Sir Joseph Hooker was his most of Sir Charles Lyell, to whom he dedicated the second intimate friend, and on January 11, 1844, he wrote : “at edition of his Journal. On January 29, 1839, he married last gleams of light have come, and I am almost convinced his cousin, Emma Wedgwood, the daughter of Josiah (quite contrary to the opinion I started with) that species Wedgwood of Maer. They lived in London until September are not (it is like confessing a murder) immutable ” (l.c., 1842, when they moved to Down, which was Darwin’s ii. 23). In 1855 he began a correspondence with the home for the rest of his life. His health broke down great American botanist Asa Gray, and in 1857 explained many times in London, and remained precarious during his views in a letter which afterwards became classical. the whole of his life. The immense amount of work which In 1856, urged by Lyell, he began the preparation of a he got through was only made possible by the loving care third and far more expanded treatise, and had completed
