FUNCTION AND ENVIRONMENT 189 



stimulate exertions and that these result in 

 improvements, which subsequent generations 

 make better still. This was Lamarckism 

 before Lamarck, as his grandson pointed out. 

 Lamarck agreed with Buffon in maintain- 

 ing that external conditions directly moulded 

 plants, but differed from him in denying this 

 for animals, " for environment can effect no 

 direct change whatever upon the organiza- 

 tion of animals." In so doing, despite the 

 obvious exaggeration, we must credit him 

 with clear recognition of the relative passivity 

 of the vegetative life, the relative activity 

 of that of the animal. The central idea of 

 his theory, however, was the cumulative 

 transmission of functional modifications : 

 " Changes in environment bring about 

 changes in the habits of animals. Changes in 

 their wants necessarily bring about parallel 

 changes in their habits. If new wants be- 

 come constant or very lasting, they form new 

 habits, the new habits involve the use of 

 new parts, or a different use of old parts, 

 which results finally in the production of new 

 organs and the modification of old ones." 

 But beyond this he clearly insisted on the 

 inward urge or effort of the organism to realize 

 its inmost wants, and to express this in 

 change of habits and even of structure. 



