Page:Charles Darwin as a Geologist - 1909.djvu/11

 CHARLES DARWIN AS GEOLOGIST

When the Vice-Chancellor honoured me with his invitation to give the Rede Lecture this year, he informed me that it would be included in the proceedings of the present Celebration. Although he left me free in the choice of a subject, it was obvious that the lecturer could hardly hesitate to select a theme which would have reference, more or less direct, to the illustrious Naturalist whose Centenary the University had resolved to commemorate. The nature and extent of Charles Darwin's contributions to biological science have been so often and so fully described, and his influence on almost all departments of human thought has been so amply recognised, that for the present, little more may seem to remain to be said on the subject until, in the course of time, a fresh