134 THE ASCENT OF MAN 



only an additional inducement for neglect. Thus it 

 might be thought that the continuous use of the tele- 

 scope, in the attempt to discover more and more 

 indistinct and distant heavenly bodies, might tend to 

 increase the efficiency of the Eye. But that expecta- 

 tion has vanished already before a further fruit of 

 Man's inventive power. By an automatic photo- 

 graphic apparatus fixed to the telescope, an Eye 

 is now created vastly more delicate and in many 

 respects more efficient than the keenest eye of Man. 

 In at least five important particulars the Photo- 

 graphic Eye is the superior of the Eye of Organic 

 Evolution. It can see where the human Eye, even 

 with the best aids of optical instruments, sees no- 

 thing at all ; it can distinguish certain objects with 

 far greater clearness and definition ; owing to the 

 rapidity of its action it can instantly detect changes 

 which are too sudden for the human eye to follow ; 

 it can look steadily for hours without growing tired ; 

 and it can record what it sees with infallible accuracy 

 upon a plate which time will not efface. How long 

 would it take Organic Evolution to arrive at an Eye 

 of such amazing quality and power ? And with such 

 a piece of mechanism available, who, rather than em- 

 ploy it even to the neglect of his organs of vision, 

 would be content to await the possible attainment of 

 an equal perfection by his descendants some million 



