320 PART V. WORKING STAGE. 



on 'The Expression of the Emotions', began in 1838 and closed 

 in 1872; 'Insectivorous Plants', 1860-1876; 'Vegetable Mould and 

 Earthworms', 1837-1881." (Frank Cramer, op. cit., pp. 79-80.) 

 And his analyst reflects Darwin's attitude in the following 

 comments: "Nothing can be so demonstrative as the relative 

 permanence of work that has been done slowly and work that 

 has been done with promptness and apparent vigour. The latter 

 almost invariably takes a very subordinate place in the litera- 

 ture of the subject when once that subject is completely 

 worked out. . . . Where speed is felt to be necessary, a vast 

 outlay of energy is frequently required to discover what with 

 more time would almost come of itself. With the attention 

 steadily fixed, time brings to bear multitudes of facts that would 

 otherwise be lost." (Ibid., pp. 77-78.) And, again, epigram- 

 matically : "Time, as well as reason, is the handmaid of science." 

 (P. 80.) 



Psychological and objective arguments emphasise the need 

 of this Sub-Conclusion. The very effort required in circum- 

 spect examination is fatiguing, and re-examination is therefore 

 expedient, whilst repeated recurrence will tend to remove sundry 

 objective limitations and provide an opportunity for fresh ideas 

 to play round the subject. We are also likely not to be ob- 

 sessed by fixed concepts, and to note errors that blurring 

 familiarity and a crowd of irrelevant and obtrusive particulars, 

 which will be forgotten in the course of time, screened from 

 us. On this account we should not proceed without appreciable 

 breaks in an enquiry. (Conclusion 7, last par.) Naturally, too, 

 some considerable period should elapse before we close an en- 

 quiry, in order to prevent precipitate decisions and allow ample 

 time for re-examination under varied conditions. 



Moreover, in the interest of true scientific progress, it is in- 

 dispensable to apply these precautionary measures to existing 

 collections of knowledge, for it has not seldom occurred that 

 propositions said to be long and fully established are seriously 

 infected with error. Science does not recognise any infallibility in 

 its devotees, even though they may have flourished centuries ago. 



162. It will be useful, now that we have concluded our 

 study of Observation, to append a long excerpt from Darwin, 

 the great observer and generaliser, to illustrate in detail the 

 extreme need of cautious procedure: 



"Cell-making instinct of the Hive-Bee. I will not here enter on minute 



details on this subject, but will merely give an outline of the conclusions 



at which I have arrived. He must be a dull man who can examine the 



exquisite structure of a comb, so beautifully adapted to its end, without 



ithusiastic admiration. We hear from mathematicians that bees have 



ctically solved a recondite problem, and have made their cells of the 



roper shape to hold the greatest possible amount of honey, with the 



least possible consumption of precious wax in their construction. It has 



