28 THE METHOD OF DARWIN. 



did not work this information into a system 

 and bend his energies upon it. He devoted 

 himself to the solution of .geological problems 

 in the field; while the biological problems 

 only arose in their early shadowy outlines 

 during the voyage, and remained in the form 

 of questions till long after his return. Thus 

 it came about that from an educational point 

 of view his biological work was secondary and 

 the geological work pre-eminent. Had his 

 life-work ended with the reports of the Beagle 

 voyage, he would have been rated as a geol- 

 ogist. But after his return he exercised upon 

 great biological problems the intellectual 

 strength and vigor which had been developed 

 by the solution of geological problems in the 

 field. " The above various special studies were, 

 however, of no importance," he said, "compared 

 with the habit of energetic industry and of con- 

 centrated attention to whatever I was engaged 

 in which I 'then acquired. Everything about 

 which I thought or read was made to bear 

 directly on what I had seen or was likely to 

 see." He had problems constantly before him, 

 and the time allowed for their solution was 

 always limited by his own movements and 

 those of the ship; so that energy and concen- 

 tration became habitual in a mind already 



