THE ADVANCE OF SCIENCE 127 



of the Darwinian theory. I must here also name a writer 

 who, though unknown in our laboratories and museums, 

 seems to me to have rendered very valuable service in 

 later years to the testing of Darwin's doctrines and to 

 the bringing of a great class of organic phenomena 

 within the cognisance of those naturalists who are 

 especially occupied with the problems of Variation and 

 Heredity. I mean Dr. Archdall Reid, who has with 

 keen logic made use of the immense accumulation of 

 material which is in the hands of medical men, and 

 has pointed out the urgent importance of increased 

 use by Darwinian investigators of the facts as to the 

 variation and heredity of that unique animal, man, 

 unique in his abundance, his reproductive activity, and 

 his power of assisting his investigator by his own re- 

 cord. There are more observations about the variation 

 and heredity of man and the conditions attendant upon 

 individual instances than with regard to any other 

 animal. Medical men need only to grasp clearly the 

 questions at present under discussion in order to be 

 able to furnish with ease data absolutely invaluable in 

 quantity and quality. Dr. Archdall Reid has in two 

 original books full of insight and new suggestions, the 

 ' Present Evolution of Man ' and ' Principles of Heredity/ 

 shown a new path for investigators to follow. 



The attempt to resuscitate Lamarck's views on the 

 inheritance of acquired 1 characters has been met not 

 only by the demand for the production of experimental 



1 I use the term ' acquired ' without prejudice in the sense given to 

 that word by Lamarck himself. It is of primary importance that those 

 who follow this controversy should clearly understand what Lamarck 

 pointed to by this word ' acquired.' Utter confusion and absurdity has 

 resulted from a misunderstanding on this subject by some writers who 

 deliberately call newly appearing congenital characters ' acquired ' or 

 ' acquisitions.' 



