EVOLUTION.

Evening Star, Issue 4244, 3 October 1876, Page 4

EVOLUTION.

To Ihe Editor. SIR.—I have reail Captain Futton's article on the doctrine of Evolution in the 'New Zealand Magazine,' and hnd his interpretation of "special creation upon apian" to be "the direct separate creation of each species from inorganic matter." Now if by that is meant the direct creation of each variety or species exactly as it is seen to exist at present, I believe there are very few, if any, amongst us who entertain such an hypothesis; and it giving it battle Capt. Hufctonl hasl been engaging an imagii ary en«my. In doing so in his lecture I think he placed both himself and his hearers in a false position. As, however, the argu ments used by him—both in lecture and magazine- are to a great extent Ctless, even as against that (xtreme . rthesis, and as they might with equal consistency be used against the belief that each species is a work of creation, furnished with special reference to its niche in Nature, the criticism contained in my previous lettermust remain intact. But if there was anything in these letters from which it might be inferred that Captain Button himself belongs to the Evolution school which labors to exclude design from creation, it must be considered as withdrawn, because in his magazine article he makes it plain that he does believe in design ; and although he commits the mistake, I think, of admitting it only in a general sense, and while there are some things in the article that, regarded from the standpoint of final causes and special providence, appear hazy and unsatisfactory, the whole attitude of the writer (Captain Hutton) is nevertheless plainly one of positive antagonism t» the materialistic school. •—I am, &c, Dunedin, October 2. A Citizen.