330 THE THEORIES OF EVOLUTION 



in other words the characters which contribute most 

 directly to adaptation, that we are hard put to it to 

 explain the hereditary transmission of acquired char- 

 acters. Roux's theory of functional stimulation be- 

 ginning in organs with embryonic life, is the only 

 theory which can throw a little light on the subject. 

 Roux however offers a method for solving the problem 

 rather than a solution. The question remains open. 



Besides, whenever adaptation is being discussed, it 

 is relevant to ask whether adaptation is ever as per- 

 fect in reality_as it is theoreti cally believed to be. Is 

 not the wonderful harmony, the accurate adaptation 

 which we seem to observe everywhere, a mere illusion 

 due to the fact that we only perceive one brute result, 

 the survival of the animal or plant? We can hardly 

 realise all the efforts made, sometimes in vain, all the 

 injurious influences withstood in order to achieve sur- 

 vival. What we see is good overpowering evil and we 

 cannot see anything else, for if the ou tcome had been 

 different the organism would have perished. More- 

 over, starting from the idea that everything is 

 adapted, we let our imagination run riot and very 

 naturally we find what we are looking for. We must 

 also remark that no anjmaLb£ars,_passively the influ- 

 ence of_jts_ejryjronment ; if the environment is too 

 unfavourable and the animal cannot adapt itself to it, 

 it seeks another environment and frequently succeeds 

 in finding one. 



