RANK OF DIFFERENT NATIONS 181 



Rank of the Nations in Biological (Zoological) 

 Progress. The relative position of the different 

 nationalities in biological progress from the zoological 

 side is a question that offers ground for conflicting 

 opinions. It is nevertheless of very great interest to 

 students of zoology and is an appropriate matter for 

 consideration in this connection. The general con- 

 clusion appears to me justified that no nation takes 

 absolute preeminence in originality and in quality of 

 investigation. Notwithstanding the brilliancy of the 

 French, the deep philosophical contributions of the 

 English, and the monumental industry of the Ger- 

 mans, not one of these nations can justly claim a 

 position of undisputed supremacy. 



The fact should not be overlooked that there have 

 been notable pieces of zoological work from Italy, 

 from Ramon y Cajal in Spain, from Russia and from 

 the United States, but for the present inquiry, the 

 matter is chiefly confied to the highly developed 

 nations of Europe, the English, the French, and the 

 Germans. 



Let us first examine the part played by these three 

 nations as path-breakers in the five outstanding 

 biological advances of the nineteenth century. 



The advance of greatest importance, the theory of 



