176 THE GENESIS OF SPECIES. [CHAP. 



The component parts of each concrete whole have also 

 a relation of resemblance to the parts of other concrete 

 wholes, whether of the same or of different kinds, as the 

 resemblance between the hands of two men, or that 

 between the hand of a man and the fore-paw of a cat. 



Now, it is here contended that the relationships borne 

 one to another by various component parts, imply the 

 existence of some innate, internal condition, conveniently 

 spoken of as a power or tendency, which is quite as 

 mysterious as is any innate condition, power, or tendency 

 resulting in the orderly evolution of successive specific 

 manifestations. These relationships, as also this deve- 

 lopmental power, will doubtless, in a certain sense, be 

 somewhat further explained as science advances. But 

 the result will be merely a shifting of the inexplicabUity 

 a point backwards, by the intercalation of another step 

 between the action of the internal condition or power and 

 its external result. In the meantime, even if by " Natural 

 Selection " we could eliminate the puzzles of the " origin 

 of species," yet other phenomena, not less remarkable 

 (namely, those noticed in this chapter), would still remain 

 unexplained and inexplicable. It is not improbable that, 

 could we arrive at the causes conditioning all the complex 

 inter-relations between the several parts of one animal, 

 we should at the same time obtain the key to unlock the 

 secrets of specific origination. 



It is desirable, then, to see what facts there are in 

 animal organization which point to innate conditions 

 (powers and tendencies) as yet unexplained, and upon 

 which the theory of " Natural Selection " is unable to 

 throw any explanatory light. 



The facts to be considered are the phenomena of "homo- 



