FROM LAMARCK TO ST. HILAIRE 293 



for an incalculable number of generations. The 

 plants have thus become arrested in their types, 

 and do not present the variations so frequent in 

 new countries. 



Bory thus introduces a new idea in his hy- 

 pothesis of the fixation of specific characters by 

 the action of a long series of ancestors placed 

 under constant conditions. According to him, 

 this, so to speak, is habit exercising its powers, 

 not only on individuals, but even on species. 

 But in this conception, without being apparently 

 aware of it, he places himself in formal contra- 

 diction to Lamarck, the master of w^hom he pro- 

 claims himself a disciple. We have seen, in fact, 

 that in the opinion of Lamarck, all organized 

 forms were being constantly modified according 

 to new needs, and it follows that each generation, 

 through the inheritance of acquired adaptations, 

 was separated more and more from its ancestors. 

 While with Bory heredity would have as its re- 

 sult the fixation of characters, with Lamarck it 

 is constantly causing them to vary, by accumu- 

 lating the little difi^erences acquired in each gen- 

 eration. In this point of view Bory must be re- 

 garded as an aberrant disciple of Lamarck. 



Bory's idea of the fixation of characters by 

 heredity was subsequently taken up and enlarged 

 by his countryman, Naudin. 



