Art and Science 



were equalised by the use of suitable spectacles, 

 and he soon lost the habit completely and per- 

 manently. He is now the father of two chil- 

 dren, a boy and a girl, whose vision (tested 

 repeatedly and fully) is emmetropic in both 

 eyes, so that they have not inherited the con- 

 genital optical defect of their father. All the 

 same, they have both of them inherited his 

 early acquired habit, and need constant watch- 

 fulness to prevent their hiding the left eye 

 when writing, by resting the head on the left 

 forearm or hand. Imitation is here quite out 

 of the question. 



" Considering that every habit involves 

 changes in the proportional development of 

 the muscular and osseous systems, and hence 

 probably of the nervous system also, the 

 importance of inherited habits, natural or 

 acquired, cannot be overlooked in the general 

 theory of inheritance. I am fully aware that 

 I shall be accused of flat Lamarckism, but a 

 nickname is not an argument." 



To this Professor Ray Lankester rejoined 

 (Nature, March 21, 1889) : 



" It is not unusual for children to rest the 

 3" 



