240 Evolution and Adaptation 



satisfactory basis, as we shall try to show; and Darwin's 

 attempt at an explanation, in his chapter on pangenesis, does 

 not put the matter in a much more satisfactory condition. 



The Neo-Lamarckian School 



Let us now turn our attention to a school that has grown 

 up in modern times, the members of which call themselves 

 Neo-Lamarckians. Let us see if they have supplied the 

 essential evidence that is required to establish the Lamarck- 

 ian view, namely, that characters acquired by the individual 

 are transmitted to the offspring. 



Lamarck's views were adopted by Herbert Spencer, and 

 play an important role in his " Principles of Biology " (1866- 

 1871), and even a more conspicuous part in his later writings. 

 In the former he cites, amongst other cases, that of " a puppy 

 taken from its mother at six weeks old who, although never 

 taught ' to beg ' (an accomplishment his mother had been 

 taught), spontaneously took to begging for everything he 

 wanted when about seven or eight months old." If tricks 

 like this are inheritable is it not surprising that more puppies 

 do not stand on their hind-legs ? 



The larger hands of the laboring classes in England are 

 supposed to be inherited by their children, and the smaller 

 hands of the leisure classes are supposed to be the result of 

 the disuse of the hands by their ancestors ; but even if these 

 statements in regard to size are true, there are many other 

 conceivable causes that may have led to this result. 



Short-sightedness appears more often, it is said, in those 

 classes of society that make most use of their eyes in reading 

 and in writing ; but if we ask for experimental evidence to 

 show that this is due to inheritance, and not due to the chil- 

 dren spoiling their eyes at school, there is none forthcoming. 

 The problem is by no means so simple as the uninitiated may 

 be led to believe. 



