CHAPTER IX 



ADAPTATIONS 

 Purposive Actions in Living Things. 



IN a previous chapter some mention has been Adapta- 

 made of that useful word adaptations, so tions " 

 frequently employed with the idea that it 

 affords a complete explanation, in itself, of the 

 phenomena with which it is connected. 



It is astonishing how many persons can be 

 satisfied by a mere phrase and hundreds go 

 happy away when told that Nature does so 

 and so or provides for such and such a condi- 

 tion of affairs without appearing to be in any 

 way concerned as to who or what Nature is 

 or how it performs the wondrous works with 

 which it is credited. 



It is the same with that blessed word " in- " Inher- 

 herent " which is also constantly used as if it ence " 

 were an explanation instead of a mere naming 

 of a fact. That certain characteristics are in- 

 herent, say in a bull, is no doubt perfectly true, 

 but to tell us that a bull is quarrelsome at times 

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