LAMARCK. 179 



spontaneous generation of these organisms was still 

 going on. 1 



After studying Lamarck and finding how much 

 there is of great value in his system, we have to re- 

 cord that he exerted astonishingly little influence, 

 and, in France at least, was only followed by a single 

 writer. This was partly due to the stigma which 

 was placed upon the transmutation theory, and the 

 strong opposition to Lamarck's doctrine by Cuvier, 

 the most influential naturalist of the time. As La- 

 marck retired from active life after the loss of his 

 eyesight, he became a less and less known figure; 

 he could take no direct part in spreading his doc- 

 trines, and left the arena of discussion open to 

 Cuvier and St. Hilaire. 



Lamarck, as a naturalist, exhibited exceptional 

 powers of definition and description, while in his 

 philosophical writings upon Evolution, his specula- 

 tion far outran his observations, and his theory 

 suffered from the absurd illustrations which he 

 brought forward in support of it. It was such ex- 

 amples as the method of evolution of the snakes, 

 which gave Lamarck's critics their opportunity of 

 throwing all his ideas into ridicule ; and from some 

 of these brief illustrations his critics spread the im- 

 pression that he believed animals acquired new or- 

 gans simply by wishing for them. His really sound 

 speculation in Zoology was also injured by his ear- 

 lier and thoroughly worthless speculation in Chem- 



1 Oken's similar theory was not advanced until 1805. 



