240 FROM THE GREEKS TO DARWIN 



influence of the predominant employment of a cer- 

 tain organ, or by that of the continued lack of use of 

 such a part — all this Nature conserves by generation 

 to the new individuals which arise, provided that 

 these acquired variations [change ments] are com- 

 mon to both sexes, or to those which have produced 

 these new individuals. 



This law is now known as 'the inheritance of ac- 

 quired characters/ or better, to revive Lamarck's 

 original idea expressed in the word changements, 

 we should call it the theory of inheritance of ac- 

 quired changes, variations, or adaptations. 



This transmission theory of Lamarck is seen 

 to be substantially similar to that of Erasmus 

 Darwin, and to depart from that of Buffon, for 

 Lamarck does not follow Buffon in supposing 

 that environment alone directly produces changes 

 in animals, either in their form or organization. 

 On this point he says :^ 



Circumstances influence the form and organiza- 

 tion of animals. . . . But I must not be taken liter- 

 ally, for environment can effect no direct changes 

 whatever upon the form and organization of animals. 



In the Philosophic Zoologique he summarizes 

 his own environmental doctrine as follows:^ 



Great changes in circumstances bring about 

 changes in the wants of animals. Changes in their 



^Loc. cit.y I, p. 223. ^Loc. cit., I, pp. 223-4. 



