Man ill the Light of Evolution 



show Its vast advantages over the molluscan 

 shell. Every improvement in this skeleton in- 

 creased speed of locomotion, stimulated nerve, 

 sense organs, and brain, exercised the muscles, 

 and thus led on to higher and higher realiza- 

 tions and to new possibilities. It was like a mine 

 in which the ore, poor at the surface, grows 

 richer with increasing depth. The vertebrate 

 was sure to be outclassed at first, and equally 

 sure to win in the end. 



The experiment of using an external locomo- 

 tive skeleton culminated in insects. It was suited 

 only for small forms, ^ and thus led to shortness 

 of life, to instinct rather than intelligence. Such 

 a skeleton has far greater possibilities than the 

 shell of mollusks. But its possibilities, especially 

 along the line of development of brain, are nec- 

 essarily limited. The highest attainments could 

 not be reached by any such experiment. Now 

 that we can see the whole of the experiment, 

 these results, hardly to be foreseen, have become 

 perfectly clear. 



The molluscan line ended in the slough of con- 



^ Compare Lotze, H., " Microcosmus," vol. i, Book IV, 

 Chapter IV, "Man-Brute." 



I02, 



