xlviii MUTATION, MENDELISM, ETC. 



of humanity, the pursuit of gain, the gratification of 

 ambition — only tends to bias and mar the inquiry. We 

 want to know why. That is all. Whither the know- 

 ledge we accumulate is tending no one can tell. One of 

 the greatest men of all time said that we are like children 

 picking up shells on the shore of the ocean. A realiza- 

 tion of the truth of the saying might save us from 

 carrying the likeness still further, by quarrelling over 

 our little collections. 



For myself and my own work I should greatly prefer 

 to have said nothing, or only to have used words 

 suggested by the old-world reply to the fears of the 

 timid and the inexperienced : — ' The sun-darkening cloud 

 of arrows is much less deadly than it looks : no great 

 harm will be done : in the meantime we can fight all the 

 better in the shade. 1 But this comfortable course is shut 

 out, and that for two reasons — because of an immeasur- 

 able debt due to the past, because of heavy responsibilities 

 incurred for the future. 



Naturalists who are striving to carry on, however 

 imperfectly, a great tradition, can neglect the attempt to 

 depreciate their own work, but they cannot be indifferent 

 to an attack which falls on those who created the tradition 

 — on the founders of modern Biological Science. As 

 for the future, the thoughts of Darwin and Wallace are 

 potent as ever to inspire and direct the labours of the 

 young biologist. I do not speak without knowledge ; 

 for many a student of nature has come to me for 

 guidance, and I have not directed them in vain to this 

 source. Not without the strongest protest shall the 

 work which has meant, and still means, so much to them 

 be assailed by the unscientific and, I must add, the 

 unworthy weapon of contempt. 



