30 THE TRANSFORMATIONS OF THE ANIMAL WORLD 



etc., whose actions, however energetic, are always 

 limited, and do not stop the general march, slow 

 and progressive as it is, of natural phenomena. 

 It is thus permissible to consider Lamarck as 

 a forerunner of the school of existing causes in 

 geology. 



Lamarck, as we have already said, did not make 

 any use of or draw any argument from fossil animals 

 in support of his theoretical conceptions on the 

 evolution of beings ; but he had the merit of being, 

 without doubt, the first of all naturalists of his 

 time to attempt the construction, in the final chapter 

 of his La Philosophie Zoologique, of a genealogical table 

 of animal forms, from the most primitive types to 

 the Mammals, man being excluded. 



This genealogical tree of Lamarck is diphyletic, 

 that is to say, composed of two branches which 

 very early diverge. Life appeared in the bosom of 

 the waters (which is nearly in conformity with the 

 existing hypotheses), or at least in very moist 

 places. 



The initial gelatinous matter commenced by 

 creating a first branch, which starts with the 

 infusoria and by way of the polyps passes into the 

 Radiaries or Radiated animals. 



The second branch took their rise in the bodies of 

 other animals, especially in the form of intestinal 

 worms and of parasites ; then some of the aquatic 

 worms, such as the Gordians, became accustomed 

 to exposure to the air, and gave us the gnats, Ephe- 

 merides and other insects. Amongst these, some, 

 by solitary or concealed habits of life, produced the 

 Arachnidce. These last again took to the water 



