THE WONDER OF LIFE 601 



the Lamarckian position. It is easy to interpret results 

 as due to the hereditary accumulation of individual gains 

 and losses, which have been acquired under conditions 

 of changed function or changed environment ; but when 

 it comes to experimental testing the case breaks down. 



(F) Does Experience count for the Race ? Let us 

 turn back to our study of instincts, with this extremely 

 important question in our minds. It is certain that many 

 animals have an inborn capacity of reacting in a definite 

 and adaptive way to particular stimuli, and a succession 

 of these reactions may be linked together in a very effective 

 piece of behaviour. In some cases at least, as we sought 

 to show, it is possible to give a reasonable interpretation of 

 these instinctive capacities. We can think of them be- 

 ginning as germinal variations ; we can think of them 

 progressing as germinal variations ; we can think of them 

 being most subtly perfected in the course of Natural Selec- 

 tion. All this is outside of the hypothesis that the tutelage 

 of experience counts for anything except in the individual 

 lifetime. That individual experience may give a finishing 

 touch to instinctive capacity may be admitted without 

 accepting the view that these individual gains are in any 

 representative way transmissible. 



What we have stated is the ordinary Darwinian view, 

 but we must in fairness give a statement of the Mnemic 

 interpretation, according to which the offspring are sup- 

 posed to benefit directly by the premiums paid to experi- 

 ence on the part of their parents and ancestors. 



(G) Mnemic Theories. The term ' mnemic ', which 

 recalls the more familiar word mnemonic, is applied to the 

 theories of heredity suggested by Ewald Hering, Samuel 

 Butler, Richard Semon and others, according to which 



