292 EVOLUTION, OLD AND NEW. 



an endless diversity in their surroundings. The follow- 

 ing law, then, may be now propounded, namely : 



" That anomalies in the development of organism are 

 due to the influences of the environment and to the habits 

 of the creature.* 



" Some have said that the anomalies above mentioned 

 are so great as to disprove the existence of any scale 

 which should indicate descent; but the nearer we 

 approach species, the smaller we see differences become, 

 till with species itself we find them at times almost 

 imperceptible." t 



Lamarck here devotes about seventy pages to a 

 survey of the animal kingdom in its entirety, beginning 

 with the mammals and ending with the infusoria. He 

 points out the manner in which organ after organ dis- 

 appears as we descend the scale, till we are left with a 

 form which, though presenting all the characteristics 

 of life, has yet no special organ whatever. I am 

 obliged to pass this classification over, but do so very 

 unwillingly, for it is illustrative of Lamarck, both at 

 his best and at his worst. 



The seventh chapter is headed 



" On the influence of their surroundings on the 

 actions and habits of animals, and on the effect of these 

 habits and actions in modifying their organization." 



" The effect of different conditions of our organization 

 upon our character, tendencies, actions, and even our 

 ideas, has been often remarked, but no attention has yet 

 been paid to that of our actions and habits upon our 

 organization itself. These actions and habits depend 

 * ' Phil. Zool,,' torn . i. p. 145. f Pnge 146. 



