GOETHE ON ADAPTATION AND INHERITANCE. 89 



quote a passage from the poem entitled, "The Metamor- 

 phosis of Animals " (1819). 



" All members develop themselves according to eternal laws, 

 And the rarest form mysterionsly preserves the primitive type. 

 Form therefore determines the animal's way of life, 

 And in turn the way of life powerfully reacts upon all form. 

 Thus the orderly growth of form is seen to hold 

 Whilst yielding to change from externally acting causes." * 



Here, clearly enough, the contrast between two different 

 organic constructive forms is intimated, which are opposed 

 to one another, and which by their inter-action determine 

 the form of the organism ; on the one hand, a common inner 

 original type, firmly maintaining itself, constitutes the 

 foundation of the most different forms ; on the other hand, 

 the externally active influence of surroundings and mode of 

 life, which influence the original type and transform it. 

 This Contrast is still more definitely pointed out in the 

 following passage : — 



" An inner original community forms the foundation of all 

 organization ; the variety of forms, on the other hand, arises 

 from the necessary relations to the outer world, and we 

 may therefore justly assume an original difference of condi- 

 tions, together with an uninterruptedly progressive trans- 

 formation, in order to be able to comprehend the constancy 

 as well as the variations of the phenomena of form." 



The *' original type " which constitutes the foundation of 



* Alle Glieder bilden sich aus nach ew'gen Gesetzen, 

 TJnd die seltenste Form bewahrt im Geheimniss das Urbild. 

 Also bestimmt die Gestalt die Lebensweise des Thieres. 

 Und die Weise zu leben, sie wirkt auf alle Gestalten 

 Machtig zuriick. So zeiget sich fest die geordnete Bildung, 

 Welche zum Wechsel sich neigt durch ausserlich wirkende Wesen. 



