Erasmus Darwin's last poem, which mainly expounds his theories of evolution. He traces the progress of life form its origin as microscopic specks in premeval seas to its culmination in a civilized human society. The first canto shows life's origin and its evolution from aquatic to land forms. The second deals with reproduction--asexual, hermaphroditic and finally sexual reproduction with all its advantages. The third canto traces the progress of the mind, from its origin as a mere meeting-place of nerves to its present complexity in man. In the fourth canto Darwin descrbies the struggle for existence and the survival of the fittest. The essay-length scientific notes (last 124pp.) contain summaries of theories of spontaneous generation, etc. Erasmus Darwin's theory of evolution has been compared to Lamarckism.