OUTLINE OF BIOLOGICAL PROGRESS 7 
into the meaning of the facts. The detached facts are some- 
times tedious, the interpretations always interesting. 
The growth of the knowledge of organic nature is a long 
story, full of human interest. Nature has been always the 
same, but the capacity of man as its interpreter has varied. 
He has had to pass through other forms of intellectual actiy- 
ity, and gradually to conquer other phases of natural phe- 
nomena, before entering upon that most difficult task of 
investigating the manifestations of life. It will be readily 
understood, therefore, that biology was delayed in its devel- 
opment until after considerable progress had been made in 
other sciences. 
It is an old saying that ‘‘ Truth is the daughter of Time,” 
and no better illustration of it can be given than the long 
upward struggle to establish even the elemental truths of 
nature. It took centuries to arrive at the conception of the 
uniformity of nature, and to reach any of those generaliza- 
tions which are vaguely spoken of as the laws of nature. 
The Men of Science.—-In the progress of science there is 
an army of observers and experimenters éach contributing 
his share, but the rank and file supply mainly isolated facts, 
while the ideas take birth in the minds of a few gifted leaders, 
either endowed with unusual insight, or so favored by cir- 
cumstances that they reach general conclusions of importance. 
These advance-guards of intellectual conquest we designate 
as founders. What were they like in appearance? Under 
what conditions did they work, and what was their chief aim ? 
These are interesting questions which will receive attention 
as our narrative proceeds. 
A study of the lives of the founders shows that the scien- 
tific mood is pre-eminently one of sincerity. The men who 
have added to the growth of science were animated by an 
unselfish devotion to truth, and their lasting influence has 
been in large measure a reflection of their individual char- 
