An Introduction to a Biology 



scientific investigation, it is manifestly desirable that 

 we should have a very clear idea of the nature of 

 these laws. It must be admitted at once that 

 nothing could be better adapted to the obscuring 

 of their real nature than the phraseology of scien- 

 tific textbooks.^ We are told that such and such 

 phenomena are governed by such and such a law 

 and that this law was discovered by such and such 

 a person. We should conclude from the word 

 " govern " that phenomena are like marionettes 

 whose performances are regulated by things which 

 we call " laws " behind them — at any rate, distinct 

 from them. The discovery of these laws means, 

 literally, the uncovering of them and, as a sort of 

 corollary, the exposing of them to human gaze. 

 This discovery is not supposed to take the form 

 of an actual piercing of the ranks of the marion- 

 ettes to the laws behind, but to consist in a 

 deduction of the nature of these laws from the 

 performances of the marionettes. But why this 

 delicacy ? Why cannot we go behind the scenes 

 and have a look at these laws, and see what 

 they are like ? Why should there be any mystery 

 about them ? If we are kept in the dark like this 

 we shall begin to think we have been imposed 

 upon. 



The truth, in my belief, is that we have been 



^ " The strong family resemblance which is seen both in the human 

 species and amongst animals related to each other is a direct consequence 

 of the existence of the first law of breeding — viz. that ' like begets like,' 

 or ' tends to produce like.' Other laws are in operation at the same time ; 

 consequently when an organism comes within the immediate spheres of 

 their action the effects of this and various other laws are modified to har- 

 monise with surrounding conditions." [I have been unable to trace this 

 quotation. — Ed.] 



13 



