HERLUF WINGE MORTENSEN 517 



quence of a more active life. Appetite for food has started evolution ; 

 their own voracity and the fear of the voracity of others have made 

 lizard-like reptiles use all their faculties with special diligence, and 

 they have worked their way forward to become mammals." It is 

 training and use that condition development. The necessary premise 

 is, of course, the inheritance of acquired characters, and about this 

 Winge had absolutely no doubt. True enough, it is at present more 

 common to deny the inheritance of acquired characters, as being at 

 variance with our experience. The problem can — in my opinion — 

 by no means be said to be solved as yet. Much may be said, and is 

 said, for as Avell as against it. I shall, of course, not here enter more 

 in detail on this question which is the foundation of all Lamarckism. 

 But it may probably be admitted that it is not likely that there will 

 be many who can fully share Winge's point of view on this matter. 



The year after, 1882, Winge published a paper " Pattedyrenes 

 Tandskifte, isaer med Hensyn til Taendernes Former " (Tooth suc- 

 cession in mammals particularly with reference to the forms of the 

 teeth), which may well be designated as one of the best works ever 

 produced on this important subject. Had it been published in one 

 of the universally known languages it would at once have procured 

 for Winge recognition as one of the most prominent mammalogists. 

 As it was, it took a good deal of time before it was known at all 

 among the investigators of foreign countries. But Winge insisted 

 that he would compel the naturalists of foreign countries to learn to 

 read Danish, with the result that, even at present, after the course 

 of half a century, this treatise is only partly known — and partly mis- 

 understood, on account of the language. It is not necessarily given 

 to every naturalist to be a linguistic genius, and it is not to be ex- 

 pected that they should sacrifice half their lives in learning all the 

 possible — or impossible — languages in which scientific papers may 

 be published. The result is that such works are ignored, to the harm 

 not only of the author, but often also to that of science. This was 

 exactly the case here. 



The dentition in mammals and its phylogenetic development has 

 been the subject of detailed studies from many points of view, and 

 several theories have been advanced concerning this matter. The 

 theory which has won the most followers was first outlined by two 

 American paleontologists. Cope and Osborn, and is named after 

 them. It coincides in the main with Winge's theory though differ- 

 ing in important particulars, but is distinguished by a much 

 more cumbrous terminology. If Winge's paper had been pub- 

 lished in one of the universal languages, his theory and his name 

 would no doubt have won the acknowledgment that fell to the share 



