200 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [aiay 



offspring of two parents alone survive, speaking broadly; this 

 the same of the human species or the ' ling,' with 24,000,000 

 eggs in the roe of each female ! He talked much of evolution, 

 adaptation, &c. Mendelism became the most debated point of the 

 discussion; the transmission of characters has a wonderful fasci- 

 nation for the human mind. 1 here was also a point striking deep 

 in the debate on Professor Loeb's experiments with sea urchins; 

 how far had he succeeded in reproducing the species without the 

 male spermatozoa? Not very far, it seemed, when all was said. 



A theme for a pen would be the expansion of interest in 

 polar affairs; compare the interests of a winter spent by the old 

 Arctic voyagers with our own, and look into the causes. The 

 aspect of everything changes as our knowledge expands. 



The expansion of human interest in rude surroundings may 

 perhaps best be illustrated by comparisons. It will serve to 

 recall such a simple case as the fact that our ancestors applied 

 the terms horrid, frightful, to mountain crags which in our own 

 day are more justly admired as lofty, grand, and beautiful. 



The poetic conception of this natural phenomenon has fol- 

 lowed not so much an inherent change of sentiment as the inti- 

 macy of wider knowledge and the death of superstitious influence. 

 One is much struck by the importance of realising limits. 



Saturday, May 27. — A very unpleasant, cold, windy day. 

 Annoyed with the conditions, so did not go out. 



In the evening Bowers gave his lecture on sledging diets. 

 He has shown great courage in undertaking the task, great 

 perseverance in unearthing facts from books, and a considerable 

 practical skill in stringing these together. It is a thankless task 

 to search polar literature for dietary facts and still more diffi- 

 cult to attach due weight to varying statements. Some authors 

 omit discussion of this important item altogether, others fail to 

 note alterations made in practice or additions afforded by cir- 

 cumstances, others again forget to describe the nature of various 

 food stuffs. 



Our lecturer was both entertaining and instructive when he 

 dealt with old time rations; but he naturally grew weak in ap- 

 proaching the physiological aspect of the question. He went 

 through with it manfully and with a touch of humour much 

 appreciated; whereas, for instance, he deduced facts from ' the 



