GREAT STEPS IN EVOLUTION 107 



natural and the social world which has 

 always been so fascinating, and, as we main- 

 tain from opening to close of this volume, 

 also so fruitful. The naturalist and phy- 

 sician almost forget that the word parasite 

 was originally a social epithet; but the 

 many critics of human society are using 

 the comparison more and more frequently, 

 of course often in mere vague abuse, but 

 sometimes keenly also. Notable in this 

 connection is the collaboration of Professor 

 Massart, a biologist of Brussels, with M. 

 Emile Vandervelde, now widely known be- 

 yond the Belgian parliament as one of the 

 foremost of the popular tribunes of Europe; 

 and their "Parasitism, Organic and Social" 

 (1895) will still be found suggestive to natur- 

 alist and sociologist alike. 



Without entering upon matters so con- 

 troversial as a volume so named inevitably 

 raises, we may profitably note the fresh 

 light which the study of parasitism throws 

 upon that till lately accepted and still 

 mainly predominant body of economical 

 and social thought, that of the modern 

 industrial age — its political economy for the 

 group, its teaching and ideal of success for 

 the individual. For thus instead of calling 

 this one or that of our more successful fel- 

 lows by the ugly name of parasite, we may 



