4 NATURE SKETCHES IN TEMPERATE AMERICA 



brought about, he attributed something to the direct action 

 of the physical conditions of Ufe — something to the crossing 

 of already existing forms, and again, much to the use and dis- 

 use of parts — that is, the effect of habit. To this latter 

 agency, says Darwin, he seemed to attribute all the beauti- 

 ful adaptations of nature, such as the long neck of the giraffe 

 for browsing on the branches of trees. He also believed that 

 all forms of life tend to progress, and in order to account for 

 the existence of the present day simple forms of life, he main- 

 tained that they were spontajieously generated. Erasmus 

 Darwin and Herbert Spencer held similar views, namely: 

 that the effect of habit or increased use of structures leads to 

 increase of their functional efficiency. These functionally 

 produced modifications were supposed to be transmitted by 

 inheritance. 



Following Lamarck were Wells, Saint-Hilaire, Herbert, 

 Grant, Matthew, Von Baer, and others. But we find that 

 Darwin was the first to make the subject of evolution one of 

 universal interest. " With one mighty stroke he released bi- 

 ology from the thraldom of supernaturalism, and the sciences 

 all the way up to psychology have experienced a wonderful 

 renaissance. To unveil that sacred mystery of mysteries and 

 reduce it to the level of natural law was a shock to all Chris- 

 tendom." ^ In the j)la(e of special creation he set up pro- 

 gressive evolution through the operation of natural law. 



Species 



In simple terras we speak of one of the higher animals as 

 belonging to a species. This species is associated in the mind 

 as having represented in its inherent ancestral make-up cer- 

 tain characters of genus, order, family, and kingdom, each of 

 the characters being more and more fundamental as it goes 

 back in its ancestral pedigree. Linnaeus established the use of 

 two names to apply to a species, one for the genus and one to 

 designate the species. Modern science recognizes this method 

 of naming species as the bionomic system of nomenclature. 



Romanes ^ gives several definitions of species according to 



^ Whitman, " Congress of Arts and Sciences, Universal Exposition, St. Louis," 

 Vol. V. * " Darwin and After Darwin," Part II, p. ^31. 



