ORIGIN OF LIFE, 35 
of what he presumes to be ancient though almost 
structureless kinds of organisms, and endeavouring 
to account for their stationary condition as regards 
structure by supposing that they have succeeded 
through long ages in what I may perhaps be allowed 
to call ‘dodging’ all changes in their environment, 
Mr. Spencer says:—‘New influences are escaped 
by the survival of species in the unchanged parts 
of their habitats, or by their spread into neighbour- 
. ing habitats, which the change has rendered like their 
original habitats, or by both.” 
Now, in opposition to both these views of Mr. 
Spencer, many very cogent objections may be alleged. 
In the first place, in supposing that the organization 
-of living matter would not increase even through ages 
of time unless it were subject to marked variations in 
external conditions, Mr. Spencer makes a supposition 
which seems notably at variance with his own doctrines 
of Evolution. Does he not for a time ignore those 
internal causes of change which must ever be in 
operation within living matter as within all other kinds 
of matter—and which, even in combination with ap- 
proximately fixed external conditions, should suffice 
to produce a continually-increasing differentiation 
(organization) in living matter? Mr, Spencer himself 
says* :—“ All finite forms of the homogeneous—all 
* First Principles, 2nd edit. pp. 429 and 548. 
D 2 
