Erolution 

 Exactness 



SCIENTIFIC SIDE-LIGHTS 



has now made an actual investigation into 

 the words and structure of all known lan- 

 guages, and the information sought by the 

 evolutionist lies ready-made to his hand. So 

 far as controversy might be expected to arise 

 here on the theory of development itself, 

 there is none. For the first fact to interest 

 us in this new region is that every student 

 of language seems to have been compelled to 

 give in his adherence to the general theory 

 of evolution. All agree with Renan that 

 " Sans doubte les langues, comme tout ce qui 

 est organise, sont sujettes a la loi du de"- 

 velopment graduel " [without doubt lan- 

 guages, like all that is organized, are sub- 

 ject to the law of gradual development]. 

 And even Max Miiller, the least thorough- 

 going from an evolutionary point of view 

 of all philologists, asserts that " no student 

 of the science of language can be anything 

 but an evolutionist, for, wherever he looks, 

 he sees nothing but evolution going on all 

 around him." DRUMMOND Ascent of Man, 

 ch. 5, p. 179. (J. P., 1900.) 



1109. EVOLUTION OF PHOSPHOR- 

 ESCENT ORGANS Gradation Manifest in 

 Marine Animals. It has been known for 

 some years now that the slime secreted by 

 the skin-glands of certain sharks is highly 

 phosphorescent. It is not difficult, then, to 

 understand how it came about that certain 

 fish developed complicated phosphorescent 

 organs. 



From the phosphorescent slime secreted 

 by a simple skin-gland to the most compli- 

 cated eyelike phosphorescent organ, we have 

 a series of intermediate forms that are quite 

 sufficient, even in the imperfect state of our 

 knowledge at the present day, to enable us 

 to understand the outlines of the evolution 

 of these peculiar and interesting organs. 

 HICKSON Fauna of the Deep Sea, ch. 4, p. 

 77. (A., 1894.) 



1110. EVOLUTION OF SCIENCES 



Mind in Relation to Environment. At a cer- 

 tain stage in the development of every 

 science a degree of vagueness is what best 

 consists with fertility. On the whole, few 

 recent formulas have done more real service 

 of a rough sort in psychology than the 

 Spencerian one that the essence of mental 

 life and of bodily life are one, namely, " the 

 adjustment of inner to outer relations." Such 

 a formula is vagueness incarnate; but be- 

 cause it takes into account the^ fact that 

 minds inhabit environments which act on 

 them and on which they in turn react; be- 

 cause, in short, it takes mind in the midst 

 of all its concrete relations, it is immensely 

 more fertile than the old-fashioned " ra- 

 tional psychology," which treated the soul 

 as a detached existent, sufficient unto itself, 

 and assumed to consider only its nature and 

 properties. JAMES Psychology, vol. i, ch. 1, 

 p. 6. (H. H. & Co., 1899.) 



1111. EVOLUTION OUT OF FOCUS 



Must Sweep in Whole Truth. Evolution 



was given to the modern world out of focus, 

 was first seen by it out of focus, and has re- 

 mained out of focus to the present hour. Its 

 general basis has never been reexamined 

 since the time of Mr. Darwin; and not only 

 such speculative sciences as teleology, but 

 working sciences like sociology, have been 

 led astray by a fundamental omission. An 

 evolution theory drawn to scale, and with 

 the lights and shadows properly adjusted 

 adjusted to the whole truth and reality of 

 Nature and of man is needed at present as 

 a standard for modern thought. DRUM- 

 MONO Ascent of Man, int., p. 6. (J. P., 

 1900.) 



1112. EXACTNESS, NERVELESS, OF 

 THE PHOTOGRAPH Nervous Tension May 

 Disqualify the Human Observer. To the 

 equatorial telescopes photographic cameras 

 are attached instead of the eyepieces, in the 

 hope that the corona may be made to im- 

 press itself on the plate instead of on the 

 eye. The eye is an admirable instrument it- 

 self, no doubt ; but behind it is a brain, per- 

 haps overwrought with excitement, and re- 

 sponding too completely to the nervous ten- 

 sion which most of us experience when those 

 critical moments are passing so rapidly. 

 The camera can see far less of the corona 

 than the man, but it has no nerves, and 

 what it sets down we may rely on. LANG- 

 LEY New Astronomy, ch. 2, p. 47. (H. M. & 

 Co., 1896.) 



1113. EXACTNESS OF SCIENCE 



Astronomy Depends upon Hairbreadths and 

 Fractions of a Second. Such are the refine- 

 ments upon which modern astronomy de- 

 pends for its progress. It is a science of 

 hairbreadths and fractions of a second. It 

 exists only by the rigid enforcement of ardu- 

 ous accuracy and unwearying diligence. 

 Whatever secrets the universe still has in 

 store for man will only be communicated on 

 these terms. They are, it must be acknowl- 

 edged, difficult to comply with._ They in- 

 volve an unceasing struggle against the in- 

 firmities of his nature and the instabilities 

 of his position. But the end is not un- 

 worthy the sacrifices demanded. One addi- 

 tional ray of light thrown on the marvels 

 of creation a single, minutest encroach- 

 ment upon the strongholds of ignorance is 

 recompense enough for a lifetime of toil. 

 Or rather, the toil is its own reward, if 

 pursued in the lofty spirit which alone be- 

 comes it. For it leads through the abysses 

 of space and the unending vistas of time to 

 the very threshold of that infinity and eter- 

 nity of which the disclosure is reserved for 

 a life to come. CLERKE History of Astron- 

 omy, pt. i, ch. 6, p. 153. (Bl., 1893.) 



1114. Difficulty o/ Se- 

 curing a Sample of Water Infinitesimal 

 Pollution Will Spoil All Results. The col- 

 lection of samples [of water], tho it appears 

 simple enough, is sometimes a difficult and 

 responsible undertaking. Complicated ap- 



