ORGANIC EVOLUTION — THE FACTORS 69 



be arrived at between the whole and its parts" (p. 288) ; 

 but as regards all crystals there is perfect equilibrium 

 between the whole and its parts during every stage of 

 growth. 



The force of crystallization binds the component 

 parts of the mass firmly together; never do crystals 

 emit minute particles to serve as germs of future crystals, 

 but that force which causes the development of living 

 organisms causes also those organisms in time to separate 

 from themselves minute particles, the germs of future 

 like organisms. 



The stag at one season of the year, when he is fre- 

 quently engaged in combats, carries large and massive 

 horns; these are shed, so that at another season, when 

 he is more peaceably inclined, he is without them, and 

 thereby the shape of the animal taken as a whole is 

 greatly modified. If the stag is a sort of crystal, under 

 Avhat law of crystallization does this crystal modify itself 

 periodically for the purpose of fighting ? Are Ave to 

 suppose that the stag's physiological units periodically 

 undergo so great a change as is implied in his great 

 change of form ? 



Pages might be filled with similar objections to Mr. 

 Spencer's theory, but it is needless to multiply examples. 

 While fully admitting the persistence of force, we cannot 

 admit that the persistence of force influences heredity 

 in the way he would have us believe. Without better 

 proof we cannot even admit the existence of physiological 

 units, and certainly we cannot admit that higher organ- 

 isms arc not essentially cellular, — that they are not 

 compounded of adherent unicellular organisms and their 

 products. 



