202 LAMARCK, HIS LIFE AND WORK 
‘“The) species’ is then “lan abstract’) and) general 
term.” * ‘There only exist individuals and suztes of 
individuals, that is to say, species.”+ Healso says 
that Nature “imprints on each species its unalterable 
characters ;”’ that ‘each species has an equal right 
to creation ;’’t that species, even those nearest allied, 
“are separated by an interval over which nature can- 
not pass;’’$ and that “each species having been in- 
dependently created, the first individuals have served 
as a model for their descendants.” 
Buffon, however, shows the true scientific spirit in 
speaking of final causes. 
“The pig,” he says, “is not formed as an original, 
special, and perfect type; its type is compounded of 
that of many other animals. It has parts which are 
evidently useless, or which, at any rate, it cannot 
use.” . . . “But we, ever on the lookout to refer 
all parts to a certain end—when we can see no ap- 
parent use for them, suppose them to have hidden 
uses, and imagine connections which are without 
foundation, and serve only to obscure our perception 
of Nature as she really is: we fail to see that we 
thus rob philosophy of her true character, which is to 
inquire into the ‘how’ of these things—into the 
manner in which Nature acts—and that we substitute 
for this true object a vain idea, seeking to divine the 
‘why ’—the ends which she has proposed in acting” 
(tome V.,.p-"104,,1755,.e" butler). 
The volumes of the Hestozre naturelle on animals, 
* Z,c., tome iv., p. 384 (1753). This is the first volume on the 
animals below man. 
+ Tome xi., p. 369 (1764). 
t Tome xii., p. 3 (1764). 
§ Tome v., p. §9 (1755). 
| Tome xiii., p. vii. (1765). 
