CHAPTER IV 



LAND LIFE BEGINS 



More than half the story of life was over at the time 

 of the appearance of the fish, which we have reached. 

 That half of the story is not only very imperfectly 

 known to us, but it is difficult for people who have 

 not a fair knowledge of science to follow it. I have 

 therefore dealt with it on very broad lines. Those 

 who wish to know more may consult my larger work, 

 Tht Story of Evolution, in which the development of 

 each branch of the lower animal world is fairly traced. 

 The second half of the story of life, mainly of life on 

 land, I will now tell more in detail. It is easier to 

 follow, and it will illustrate every principle of 

 evolution. 



First, then, you must begin by thoroughly grasping 

 the immense influence of environment on the evolu- 

 tion of living things. There is a warm controversy 

 in modem science as to the respective shares of 

 environment (surroundings, climate, etc.) and 

 heredity. If you read some of our English writers, 

 often men of distinction in science, you will get the 

 impression that it is old-fashioned to talk about the 

 influence of environment; that all changes and ad- 



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