58 A NEW THEORY OF EVOLUTION. 



will depend on the energy and steadiness of 

 the mechanism of the loom, and also on the 

 material used, as well as sometimes on the 

 state of the atmosphere. 



The processes in the loom of life are closely 

 analogous. 



The same Specific life - force invariably 

 evolves the same type; but, as in the web, 

 its expression among individuals of the same 

 race will vary with any differences in the 

 energy of the life - forces, or in food, or in 

 environment during its growth to maturity. 

 To evolve a new race, either more or less 

 highly specialised, the Specific life-force alone 

 is modified, and that only so far as necessary 

 to produce the new type. The greater the 

 specific difference between successive types, 

 the earlier does the Specific life - force of 

 the successor intervene to differentiate the 

 embryos ; and the less the specific difference, 

 the longer does the similarity between the 

 embryos continue until, in the case of some 

 so-called varieties of a species, no difference 

 can be observed between them at birth. 



The analogy between the loom of life and 

 the Jacquard loom is, however, not complete 

 in one particular. No loom, as far as we 

 know, has yet been devised that will unweave 

 part of a web and replace it with a different 



