40 THE FOUNDATIONS OF ZOOLOGY 



to my own limitations, and not to the nature of the subject. While 

 I find nothing in the essay which need give any one a moment's 

 " nightmare," I am equally unable to find in it any warrant except 

 *' faith "for the dogma that biology — the science of life — now is, 

 or is at all likely soon to be, the study of the physical and chemi- 

 cal properties, or any other property except fitness, of the physical 

 basis. 



The partial failure of training in biological laboratories to make 

 naturalists of the students, or to excite in them that interest in the 

 homes of living things which has so often proved a greater delight 

 than art or literature ; its failure to stimulate the investigation of 

 those relations between animals and plants and the world around 

 them which constitute life, — has begun to attract attention and to 

 excite comment. Among the many reasons assigned for this failure 

 "microtomes " have occupied a prominent place and have been held 

 to be the seat of the mischief, although no one can treat seriously the 

 assertion that we can have too many or too refined means for research 

 into structure. From long acquaintance with many students and from 

 much discussion with them I have satisfied myself that the belief 

 that our biology (the biology of the present day, and not that of the 

 unknown future) ends with the study of the structure and functions 

 of the physical basis — the belief that biology is ** nothing but " 

 the discovery of its physical and chemical properties — has much 

 to do with it. My experience also tells me that the essay " On 

 the Physical Basis of Life " is appealed to as a scientific warrant 

 for this belief, although we have seen that it affirms nothing more 

 than a " hope " for this consummation. 



This ground was all worked over before Aristotle's day, and 

 perhaps it may not be too much of a flight of the imagination to 

 inquire what he might have thought of this essay. Do not his 

 reflections in the "Parts of Animals" warrant the assertion that 

 his comment would be something like this } — 



"Your natural science interests me more than anything else 

 in your modern world ; and your century is distinguished beyond 

 all others for progress in the history of life. I am delighted with 

 this essay, and no other pleasure could compare with that which I 

 should find in a course of study in the properties of living things 

 with the aid of your appliances for research ; but are you quite sure 



