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Dar′win, Charles Robert, one of the world’s greatest naturalists, was born at Shrewsbury, England, Feb. 12, 1809. He studied at Edinburgh University and at Christ’s College, Cambridge. Both Darwin’s father and grandfather were naturalists, and he early became interested in the same line of study. At the close of 1831 he sailed as naturalist on the Beagle. On this voyage, which lasted five years, he gained a knowledge of the animals, plants and rocks of many countries, which equipped him for his future studies. His Journal, giving his observations while on the Beagle, was published in 1839. In the same year Darwin married and sett led upon his country-estate. He devoted himself largely to the problem of the origin of species, the different kinds of animals and plants. This work he carried on in spite of distressing sickness. After five years’ work “he allowed himself to speculate” on the subject, and drew up some short notes. He was a cautious student, and his conclusions were not published till 1859. That year his Origin of Species came out. It made such a stir in the intellectual world that it is in some ways the most important book of the 19th century. In it he attempts to explain the way in which species have been evolved through a process of natural selection, or survival of the fittest, in the struggle for existence. We should avoid the common error of supposing that Darwinism is the same thing as evolution. His theory of natural selection is merely one explanation of how the evolution of life was brought about. (See .) The book was received with great interest throughout the world, and was violently attacked and defended, but to-day has become accepted in the main by theologians, scientific men and philosophers. Darwin published a number of other books. His kindliness of character, honesty of purpose, devotion to truth and attachment to his friends made him loved wherever known. He died on April 19, 1882. See his Life and Letters, by his son, Francis Darwin, who has become a great and famous astronomer. See also “The Debt of Science to Darwin” in The Century Magazine, Vol. XXV, 1883.

Date, the fruit of a well-known palm, Phœnix dactylifera, which is native to northern Africa and Arabia, and is more or less cultivated in other tropical and subtropical regions. It is one of the most common food-articles of the Arabs, and other parts of the plant furnish them with materials for various purposes. The tree becomes 100 feet high, having a straight, rough trunk, and is said to bear its enormous clusters of fruit for one or two centuries. The date palm has been cultivated in the Spanish parts of North America for many years, but chiefly for decorative purposes. The only part of the United States suitable for growing the tree for commercial purposes is said to be southern Arizona and southern California, where some interesting experiments are being made and considerable success has already been attained. Dates rank very high as food, and are eaten both fresh and dried. In the date-palm staminate flowers are borne on one tree, pistillate ones on another. To insure perfect pollination the Arabs cut off sprays of staminate flowers and place them in the pistillate trees. The tree is propagated by seeds and by suckers; if a certain variety is desired, suckers are used; the date is like the apple in not growing true to seed.

D’Aubigné (dō-bēn-yā′), Jean Henri Merle, the great Swiss historian of the Reformation and Evangelical divine, was born near Geneva, August 27, 1794; and died there, Oct. 20, 1872. He studied theology at Geneva and in Berlin, where he had Neander as his instructor, and for a time held pastoral charges at Hamburg and at Brussels, and at the latter city was preacher to the court. Returning to Geneva, he became professor of church-history in its theological seminary, and here wrote his famous History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, his History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin and works on Lutheranism and Christianity. His works on the Reformation have raised a monument to his name. They, however, are the work, not of a judge, but of an advocate.

Daubigny, Charles François (frän-swä′ dō′ bḗn′ yḗ′), a French etcher and landscape-painter, was born in 1817. He studied with his father, with Delaroche and with others, exhibited when only 21, but did not receive full recognition for 28 years. He

Image: CHARLES ROBERT DARWIN

Image: DATE-PALM