LAMARCK’S THEORY OF EVOLUTION 275 
Corps vivans (p. 56 e¢ suzv.), and decide for your- 
selves. 
“Thus, among living bodies, nature, as I have al- 
ready said, offers only in an absolute way individuals 
which succeed each other genetically, and which 
descend one from the other. So the sfeczes among 
them are only relative, and only temporary. 
“Nevertheless, to facilitate the study and the 
knowledge of so many different bodies it is useful to 
give the name of sfecies to the entire collection of 
individuals which are alike, which reproduction per- 
petuates in the same condition as long as the con- 
ditions of their situation do not change enough to 
make their habits, their character, and their form 
vary. 
‘“ Such is, citizens, the exact sketch of that which 
goes on in nature since she has existed, and of that 
which the observation of her acts has alone enabled 
us to discover. I have fulfilled my object if, in pre- 
senting to you the results of my researches and of 
my experience, I have been able to disclose to you 
that which in your studies of this kind deserves your 
special attention. 
“You now doubtless conceive how important are 
the considerations which I have just exposed to you, 
and how wrong you would be if, in devoting yourself 
to the study of animals or of plants, you should seek 
to see among them only the multiplied distinctions 
that we have been obliged to establish; in a word, if 
you should confine yourselves to fixing in your mem- 
ory the variable and indefinite nomenclature which 
is applied to so many different bodies, instead of 
studying Nature herself—her course, her means, 
and the constant results that she knows how to 
attain.” 
On the next fly page are the following words: 
Esquisse d'une Philosophie zoologique. 
