Nervous St/stem and Senses, BS5 



ations ; a remark so obvious, that it may well seem to you 

 unnecessary, did not the language of too many naturalists 

 imply something to the contrary.* The notion is akin in 

 absurdity to another doctrine which Lamarck in particular 

 has strenuously and long endeavoured to establish, viz. that 

 the eyes (and of course the same reasoning applies to the 

 organs of the other senses) are the products or manufacture 

 of strong desires on the creature's part to enjoy the blessing 

 of sight, " The production," he says, "of a new organ in 

 an animal body is the result of a new supervenient need 

 which continues to be felt, and of the new motion which this 

 need has originated and keeps up : and as an illustration of 

 this law, which he is careful to print in italic letters, he in- 

 stances the snail, which, in crawling along, finds the necessity 

 of touching the bodies which are before it, makes efforts 

 to do so with some of the anterior prominences of the head, 

 and sends there every moment waves of nervous fluid and of 

 the other liquids. Now, the result of these repeated tides on 

 the points in question, is a gradual extension of their nerves, 

 a gradual growth of their substance, and the ultimate bud- 

 ding and evolution of two or four tentacula.f Think not I 

 overstrain the doctrine, for indeed I translate the words of 

 my author with sufficient closeness and sobriety ; and had he 

 not been silent on the points, I would also have told you 

 wherefore the desire awoke in some and still sleeps in others ; 

 from what cause it happened that a creature born blind, and 

 all unconscious, became conscious of the existence of light, 

 and felt the wish to see this fair scene ; and by what more than 

 magnetic influence this longing wish arranged the particles, 

 and moulded them so curiously, that an ordinary mind can 

 perceive only the designing hand of an intelligent first cause. 

 These are perhaps questions of little moment, and you must 

 rest satisfied with the dicta of the teacher : — 



" For when each would have open'd its eyes, 

 For the purpose of looking about them, 



* See a very objectionable passage quoted from FerussaCj in Zool. 

 Journal, ii. 505. 



•f Anim. sans Vertebres, i. 185. 188. —^ The doctrine of Lucretius, 

 which is at antipodes, I nevertheless like rather better :-— 

 ** Note here, Lucretius dares to teach 

 (As all our youth may learn from Creech) 

 That eyes were made, but could not view, 

 Nor hands embrace, nor feet pursue : 

 But heedless Nature did produce 

 The members first, and then the use. 

 What each must act was yet unknown. 

 Till all is moved by chance alone." Prior. 



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