634 APPENDIX B. 



rily illustrated in tlie division between the reproductive cells and 

 the non-reproductive or somatic cells — the cells devoted to the 

 continuance of the species, and the cells which subserve the life 

 of the individual. And the early separation of reproductive cells 

 from somatic cells, is alleged on the ground that this primary 

 division of labour is that which arises between elements devoted 

 to species-life and elements devoted to individual life. Let us 

 not be content with words but look at the facts. 



When Milne-Edwards first used the phrase " physiological 

 division of labour," he w^as obviously led to do so by perceiving 

 the analogy between the division of labour in a society, as 

 described by political economists, and the division of labour in an 

 organism. Every one who reads has been familiarized with the 

 first as illustrated in the early stages, when men were warriors 

 while the cultivation and drudgery were done by slaves and 

 women ; and as illustrated in the later stages, when not only are 

 agriculture and manufactures carried on by separate classes, but 

 agriculture is carried on by landlords, farmers, and labourers, 

 while manufactures, multitudinous in their kinds, severally in- 

 volve the actions of capitalists, overseers, workers, <fec., and 

 while the great function of distribution is carried on by whole- 

 sale and retail dealers in different commodities. Meanwhile 

 students of biology, led by Milne-Edwards's phrase, have come 

 to recognize a parallel arrangement in a living creature ; shown, 

 primarily, in the devoting of the outer parts to the general 

 business of obtaining food and escaping from enemies, while the 

 inner parts are devoted to the utilization of food, and supporting 

 themselves and the outer parts ; and shown, secondarily, by the 

 subdivision of these great functions into those of various limbs 

 and senses in the one case, and in the other case into those of 

 organs for digestion, respiration, circulation, excretion, &c. But 

 now let us ask what is the essential nature of this division of 

 labour. In both cases it is an exchange of services — an arrange- 

 ment under which, while one part devotes itself to one kind of 

 action and yields benefits to all the rest, all the rest, jointly and 

 severally performing their special actions, yield benefits to it in 

 exchange. Otherwise described, it is a system of mutual depen- 

 dence : A depends for its welfare upon B, C, and D ; B upon A, 

 C, and D ; and so with the rest : all depend upon each and each 

 upon all. Now let us apply this true conception of the division 

 of labour, to that which Professor Weismann calls a division of 

 labour. Where is the exchange of services between somatic cells 

 and reproductive cells ? There is none. The somatic cells render 

 great services to the reproductive cells, by furnishing them with 

 materials for growth and multiplication ; but the reproductive 

 cells render no services at all to the somatic cells. If we look 



