74 LAMARCK, HIS LIFE AND WORK 



" With respect to books on this subject, I do not 

 know of any systematical ones, except Lamarck's, 

 which is veritable rubbish. . . . Is it not strange 

 that the author of such a book as the Animaux sans 

 Vertkbres should have written that insects, which 

 never see their eggs, should will (and plants, their 

 seeds) to be of particular forms, so as to become at- 

 tached to particular objects." * (ii., p. 29, 1844.) 



" Lamarck is the only exception, that I can think 

 of, of an accurate describer of species, at least in the 

 Invertebrate Kingdom, who has disbelieved in per- 

 manent species, but he in his absurd though clever 

 work has done the subject harm." (ii., p. 39, no date.) 



^ " To talk of climate or Lamarckian habit producing 

 such adaptions to other organic beings is futile." 

 (ii., p. 121, 1858.) 



On the other hand, another great EngHsh thinker 

 and naturalist of rare breadth and catholicity, and 

 despite the fact that he rejected Lamarck's peculiar 

 evolutional views, associated him with the most emi- 

 nent biologists. 



In a letter to Romanes, dated in 1882, Huxley 

 thus estimates Lamarck's position in the scientific 

 world : 



" I am not likely to take a low view of Darwin's 

 position in the history of science, but I am disposed 

 to think that Buffon and Lamarck would run him 

 hard in both genius and fertility. In breadth of 

 view and in extent of knowledge these two men were 

 giants, though we are apt to forget their services. 



*We have been unable to find these statements in any of La- 

 ^jiarck's writing;s. " ' ' • 



