59° 



THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



'^dodging' all changes in their environment, 

 given form had been attained. 



after 



a 



under its complex relations of life. And it may be 



What 



or modes of action which go on in it 



1 i 



Origin of Species,' 5 th ed., p. 145. 



rb 



1 ■ :,»;k being 



■atieties 



conditi 



Numerous 



fai 



Mr. Darwin, however, expressly states that he is not 



w 



an advocate of ^ progressive development.' He says^ 

 ^ On our theory the continued existence of lowly organ- 

 isms offers no difficulty • for Natural Selection^ or the 

 survival of the fittest^ does not necessarily include pro- 

 gressive development — it only takes advantage of such 

 variations as arise^ and are beneficial to each creature ' liar, for instan< 



s of life, t 

 of diffe 



ch; 



[the carrectnc 



usions 



in 



be to an infusorian animalcule^ to an intestinal worm, 



or even to an earth worm^ to be highly organized? If | kayingsubsta 



it were no advantage, these forms would be left by I form of Mould, 



Natural Selection unimproved or but little improved, 



and might remain for indefinite ages in their present ; 



little advanced condition/ - ■ 



In certain other respects, however, Mr. Darwin's 

 views are much more in accordance with the views of 

 those who believe in the existence of an internal prin- 



h 



ciple or tendency leading to progressive complexity of 

 development. He thinks, for instance, in opposition to 

 Mr. Spencer, that where change is brought about in any 

 organism by the incidence of new conditions^ the nature 

 of the organism itself— that, is, the peculiar qualities 



are of much 

 more importance in determining the result than the 



' See ' Origin of 

 w. is of the sami 



a)'s, is displayed b) 

 arioiis polypes of t 



%. and structu: 

 of the 120 V 

 f ■ 'w at least i 

 *'**5,'vol,iii 



'" '» minor ch 

 '■ V-s noti 



'4« inhe 



%, . *^ differ 



^y after 



:^^ after 







