Looking at your question again, I have to add, we can’t really call them liars, they did the best they could with what was available to them. If you read Darwin’s journals, I’m sure you will be filled with admiration as I am.
They don’t have the advantage of being able to update their websites!
Liars too strong a term??? Near as I can tell they were massaging or outright ignoring their own evidence to fit their pet theories. Not unlike much of what we see today with various pet theories. Liars works for me.