62 THE HAUNTS OF LIFE 



as we do, by getting ideas into our head, but 

 rather as the races of domestic dogs or horses 

 have in the course of thousands of years 

 learned lessons. Inborn qualities that were 

 unsuitable have brought penalties to their 

 possessors, and these have been wiped out from 

 the list of shore animals. Inborn qualities that 

 were peculiarly well fitted for shore-conditions 

 have brought their possessors great success, 

 and these possessors have survived. 



When useful qualities are established in a 

 race of animals, like docility in dogs, they are 

 not readily lost. They may be lost along 

 certain lines of descent, just as pigment has 

 been lost in white rats which are descendants 

 of the common brown rat, but they are not 

 likely to be lost altogether. So it is not 

 fanciful to suppose that qualities, which were 

 established among shore animals millions of 

 years ago, may have enriched the inheritance of 

 animals which are now far away from the shore, 

 may even have enriched Man's inheritance. 

 Those in the highest form of a school may not 

 remember that they learned anything when 

 they were in the junioc school, though they 

 probably learned much ! 



But what were the good qualities which the 



