ENIGMAS AND THEIR SOLUTION. 55 



modification of the germ-plasm of the im- 

 mediate antecessor; and, that the new Specific 

 Life-force evolved the new type in the womb 

 of the antecessor. 



The successive phases of the embryo and 

 foetus of any mammal thus represent the 

 successive steps in the specialisation of its 

 type, and they at the same time disclose 

 the open secret of Nature's method in the 

 evolution of Organic Life. 



But what of two forces and their apparent 

 conflict in the development of the embryo ? 



We shall most readily explain this seeming 

 anomaly, and at the same time the processes 

 of specific variation in the embryo, by the 

 analogy between the loom of life and the 

 Jacquard loom, of which we previously availed 

 ourselves. (See chap, viii.) 



The Jacquard loom, by means of two 

 distinct combinations of force, manufactures 

 automatically webs of very diversified and 

 elaborate patterns. One combination of 

 force, representing the General life-force of 

 our theory, provides the motive-power and 

 throws the shuttle does, in short, the work 

 of the ordinary loom ; the other combina- 

 tion, representing the Specific life-force, is 

 embodied in a mechanism (attached to what 



