208 WALTER KIDD^ M.U., F.Z.S.^ ON 



more accessible side, viz. : — tlie adaptation of organisms for 

 the conditions which they fitid somehoiv or other, ready for 

 their hfe. These conceptions repose npon a vast body of 

 facts, interpret the latter how we may. 



22 But when these have given way to some fresh theory, 

 Avhich shall continue the strangling of all teleology, no 

 theory is possible which will exclude design from the other 

 side of the question dealt with here. Teachers of current 

 science may find it necessary to promulgate edicts proclaim- 

 ing " no thoroughfare here," for the enquirer who may ask 

 for the evidence connecting one side with the other. Such 

 statements as those of Weismann published two years ago 

 in his essay on Germinal Selection {pref., p. XII.), where he 

 says of teleological principles — " Tlitir introchiction, Jioivever, 

 is the ruin of science " — would perhaps afford a preamble for 

 such proclamation worthy of notice. And yet if it be not 

 too much to say, Weismann has become the most outspoken 

 teleologist since the Bridgewater treatises— except perhaps 

 Huxley. Doubtless these two learned and fearlessly candid 

 men dismiss what they call teleology with a few con- 

 temptuous words. But strangely enough there are some 

 "chartered libertines" of science who may, with Huxley, 

 speak of Man as a " conscious automaton endowed with free 

 will," or with Weismann proclaim, " Everything is adapted 

 in animate nature and has been from the lirst beginnings of 

 life "* in the very same essay in Avhich all teleology is ruled 

 out of science-land. Weismann also says there, " Outward 

 conditions only apparently determine the direction of varia- 

 tions, whilst in truth it is the adaptive requirement itself 

 that produces the useful direction of variation by means of 

 selectional processes within the germ."t and " But even 

 taking the very simplest cases of selection, it is impossible 

 to do without this assumption, that the useful variations are 

 always present or that they always exist in a sufficiently large 

 number of individuals for the selective processJ'X ( Italics not in 

 the original.) These few quotations from Weismann need 

 no comment. Teleology so transcendent justifies the above 

 description of the great Freyburg biologist as a teacher ot 

 teleology. In connection with this aspect of veiled teleology, 

 it is worthy of remark that the campaign of evolution has 

 changed from an aggressive movement to that of an inter- 

 necine strife, especially in the matter of variation. Darwin's 



* Op. a'L, p. 42. t p. 50. 1 p. 14. 



