ON THE STATISTICAL VIEW OF NATURE. 611 



sary to define somewhat more clearly what those units 

 or gemmules are. This has accordingly been attempted 

 in several other hypotheses put forward about the 

 same time or somewhat later; each thinker having 

 elaborated, when so inclined, his own fanciful picture, 

 following consciously or unconsciously in the line of 

 Spencer's physiological units. We have in Germany 

 Nageli's micellar theory, Haeckel's kinetic hypothesis, 

 Prof. Weismann's idioplasma theory, and Prof. Pfliiger's 

 theory of the compound organic molecule. All these 

 theories attempt to bring biological phenomena into 

 closer connection with the firmly established concep- 

 tions current in physics and chemistry, where atomism 

 and kinetics have been so successfully used in analysing 

 and, to a smaller extent, in putting together the com- 

 plex processes of nature. Of this I treated in former 39. 



Lends itself 



chapters. But the hypothesis of Darwin is capable of to statistical 



treatment. 



another treatment. Wherever we have to deal with a 

 large, an immense number of single elements or units, 

 which in their totality form certain phenomena, there 



for the general facts of physical ' put forth expressly to meet the 



and mental heredity. Not to self -same difficulty. But while 



mince matters, it was his one Darwin's hypothesis is rudely 



conspicuous failure, and is now materialistic, Herbert Spencer's 



pretty universally admitted as is built up by an acute and 



such. Let not the love of the , subtle analytical perception of all 



biographer deceive us ; Darwin the analogous facts in universal 



was here attempting a task ultra \ nature. It is a singular instance 



vires. As already observed, bis j of a crude and essentially un- 



inind, vast as it was, leaned rather philosophic conception endeavour 



to the concrete than to the ing to replace a finished and 



abstract side : he lacked the delicate philosophical idea " (loc. 



distinctively metaphysical and ; cit., p. 126). See also many 



speculative twist. Strange to say, references to the unfavourable 



too, his abortive theory appeared ' criticisms of Pangenesis in the 



some years later than Herbert third volume of the ' Life of 



Spencer's magnificent all-sided con- Charles Darwin.' 

 ception of 'Physiological Units,' 



