TELEOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF ORGANISM. 53 



therefore, one whit the less true that his success is the 

 result of his desires and his design ? The * Times ' 

 pointed out not long ago that the theory which now 

 associates meteors and comets in the most unmistakable 

 manner, was suggested by one accident, and con- 

 firmed by another. But the writer added well that 

 " such accidents happen only to the zealous student of 

 nature's secrets." In the same way the bird that is 

 taking to the habit of swimming, and of making the 

 most of whatever skin it already has between its toes, 

 will have doubtless to thank accidents for no small 

 part of its progress ; but they will be such accidents as 

 could never have happened to, or been taken advantage 

 of by any creature which was not zealously trying to 

 make the most of itself and between such accidents 

 as this, and design, the line is hard to draw ; for if we 

 go deep enough we shall find that most of our design 

 resolves itself into as it were a shaking of the bag to 

 see what will come out that will suit our purpose, and 

 yet at the same time that most of our shaking of the 

 bag resolves itself into a design that the bag shall 

 contain only such and such things, or thereabouts. 



Again, the fact that animals are no longer conscious 

 of design and purpose in much that they do, but act 

 unreflectingly, and as we sometimes say concerning 

 ourselves " automatically" or " mechanically" that they 

 have no idea whatever of the steps whereby they have 

 travelled to their present state, and show no sign of 

 doubt about what must have been at one time the 

 subject of all manner of doubts, difficulties, and discus- 

 sionsthat whatever sign of reflection they now exhibit 



