comes to the conclusion that they are unjust, as any one else will do
who turns to Buffon himself. Mr. Darwin, however, in the "brief but
imperfect sketch," catches at the accusation, and repeats it while
saying nothing whatever about the defence. The following is still
all he says: "The first author who in modern times has treated"
evolution "in a scientific spirit was Buffon. But as his opinions
fluctuated greatly at different periods, and as he does not enter on
the causes or means of the transformation of species, I need not here
enter on details." On the next page, in the note last quoted, Mr.
Darwin originally repeated the accusation of Buffon's having been
fluctuating in his opinions, and appeared to give it the imprimatur
of Isidore Geoffroy's approval; the fact being that Isidore Geoffroy
only quoted the accusation in order to refute it; and though, I
suppose, meaning well, did not make half the case he might have done,
and abounds with misstatements. My readers will find this matter
particularly dealt with in "Evolution, Old and New," Chapter X.

I gather that some one must have complained to Mr. Darwin of his
saying that Isidore Geoffroy gave an account of Buffon's "fluctuating
conclusions" concerning evolution, when he was doing all he knew to
maintain that Buffon's conclusions did not fluctuate; for I see that
in the edition of 1876 the word "fluctuating" has dropped out of the
note in question, and we now learn that Isidore Geoffroy gives "a
full account of Buffon's conclusions," without the "fluctuating."
But Buffon has not taken much by this, for his opinions are still
left fluctuating greatly at different periods on the preceding page,
and though he still was the first to treat evolution in a scientific
spirit, he still does not enter upon the causes or means of the
transformation of species. No one can understand Mr. Darwin who does
not collate the different editions of the "Origin of Species" with