PRIMITIVE MAN. 335 



of evolution on the plan of the above extract, that the 

 Spencerians may not long have to complain of want 

 of faith and appreciation on the part of the improved 

 apes whom they are kind enough to instruct as to 

 their lowly origin. 



The mention of " appropriate conditions *' in the 

 above extract reminds me of another fatal objection 

 to evolution which its advocates continually overlook. 

 An animal or plant advancing from maturity to the 

 adult state is in every stage of its progress a complete 

 and symmetrical organism, correlated in all its parts 

 and adapted to surrounding conditions. Suppose it 

 to become modified in any way, to ever so small an 

 extent, the whole of these relations are disturbed. 

 If the modification is internal and spontaneous, there 

 is no guarantee that it will suit the vastly numerous 

 external agencies to which the creature is subjected. 

 If it is produced by agencies from without, there is 

 no guarantee that it will accord with the internal 

 relations of the parts modified. The probabilities are 

 incalculably great against the occurrence of many 

 such disturbances without the breaking up altogether 

 of the nice adjustment of parts and conditions. This 

 is no doubt one reason of the extinction of so many 

 species in geological time, and also of the strong 

 tendency of every species to spring back to its normal 

 condition when in any way artificially caused to vary. 

 It is also connected with the otherwise mysterious law 

 of the constant transmission of all the characters oi 

 the parent. 



