xxi EVOLUTION OF EVOLUTION THEORIES 417 



endeavours. Buff on laid especial emphasis upon the 

 direct transforming influence of surroundings ; Erasmus 

 Darwin attached more importance to the moulding power 

 of changed function. Let us quote some conclusions from 

 his Zoonomia (1794) :- 



" Owing to the imperfection of language the offspring is termed 

 a new animal, but is in truth a branch or elongation of the parent, 

 since a part of the embryon animal is, or was, a part of the parent, 

 and therefore in strict language cannot be said to be entirely new 

 at the time of its production ; and therefore it may retain some of 

 the habits of the parent-system." 



" The fetus or embryon is formed by apposition of new parts, 

 and not by the distention of a primordial nest of germs included 

 one within another like the cups of a conjuror." 



" From their first rudiment, or primordium, to the termination 

 of their lives, all animals undergo perpetual transformations ; 

 which are in part produced by their own exertions in consequence 

 of their desires and aversions, of their pleasures and their pains, or 

 of irritations, or of associations ; and many of these acquired forms 

 or propensities are transmitted to their posterity." 



" As air and water are supplied to animals in sufficient profusion, 

 the three great objects of desire, which have changed the forms of 

 many animals by their exertions to gratify them, are those of lust, 

 hunger, and security." 



" This idea of the gradual generation of all things seems to have 

 been as familiar to the ancient philosophers as to the modern ones, 

 and to have given rise to the beautiful hieroglyphic figure of the 

 jrpwTov u>bv, or first egg, produced by night, that is, whose origin 

 is involved in obscurity, and animated by epc6s, that is, by Divine 

 Love ; from whence proceeded all things which exist." 



On LAMARCK (1744-1829) success did not shine as it 

 did on the Comte de Buffon or on Dr. Erasmus Darwin. 

 His life was often so hard that we wonder he did not say 

 more about the struggle for existence. As a youth of 

 sixteen, destined for the Church, he rides off on a bad 

 horse to join the French army, then fighting in Germany, 

 and bravely w r ins promotion on his first battle-field. 

 After the peace he is sent into garrison at Toulon and 

 Monaco, where his scientific enthusiasm is awakened by 

 the Flora of the south. Retiring in weakened health from 

 military service, he earns his living in a Parisian banker's 

 office, devotes his spare energies to the study of plants, 

 and writes a Flore jrancaise in three volumes, the publi- 



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