38 MODERN IDEAS OF EVOLUTION 



time manual dexterity, or who loses a finger by 

 accident, will not transmit either peculiarity. Weis- 

 mann has undoubtedly made out a strong case in 

 favour of this contention, which would at once over 

 throw the Lamarckian theory of evolution, and would 

 remove one of the subsidiary props of Darwinism, 

 throwing it back entirely on the natural selection of 

 fortuitous congenital variations. Purified in this way, 

 and reduced to chance variation, perpetuated by ac 

 cidental action of favouring circumstances, Darwinism 

 would, according to some of its adherents, evaporate 

 without leaving any residuum. Nor has it escaped 

 notice that the theory of Weismann implies profound 

 and far-reaching considerations respecting the indepen 

 dence of the germinal matter of animals of individual 

 peculiarities, and its constancy to the ideal plan of 

 the species, which would help us to account for the 

 wonderful permanence of types in geological time, 

 while it would oppose change, except when this arises 

 from causes directly affecting the reproductive func 

 tion. 



Another important point involved in Weismann s 

 results is the probability that, while asexual reproduc 

 tion, as, for instance, that of budding, tends to per 

 petuate individual peculiarities, whether of advance or 

 retrogression, ordinary reproduction tends to eliminate 

 all variations, whether produced by habit and use or 

 by obscure causes affecting the individual in its life 

 time. Thus there is a strong barrier set up, especially 



