In France, the influence of Elie de Beaumont and of Flourens--the
former of whom is said to have "damned himself to everlasting
fame" by inventing the nickname of "la science moussante" for
Evolutionism (One is reminded of the effect of another small
academic epigram. The so-called vertebral theory of the skull is
said to have been nipped in the bud in France by the whisper of
an academician to his neighbour, that, in that case, one's head
was a "vertebre pensante."),--to say nothing of the ill-will of
other powerful members of the Institut, produced for a long time
the effect of a conspiracy of silence; and many years passed
before the Academy redeemed itself from the reproach that the
name of Darwin was not to be found on the list of its members.
However, an accomplished writer, out of the range of academical
influences, M. Laugel, gave an excellent and appreciative notice
of the 'Origin' in the 'Revue des Deux Mondes.' Germany took
time to consider; Bronn produced a slightly Bowdlerized
translation of the 'Origin'; and 'Kladderadatsch' cut his jokes
upon the ape origin of man; but I do not call to mind that any
scientific notability declared himself publicly in 1860.
(However, the man who stands next to Darwin in his influence on
modern biologists, K.E. von Baer, wrote to me, in August 1860,
expressing his general assent to evolutionist views. His phrase,
"J'ai enonce les memes idees...que M. Darwin" (volume ii.) is
shown by his subsequent writings to mean no more than this.)
None of us dreamed that, in the course of a few years, the
strength (and perhaps I may add the weakness) of "Darwinismus"
would have its most extensive and most brilliant illustrations in
the land of learning. If a foreigner may presume to speculate on
the cause of this curious interval of silence, I fancy it was