288 LAMARCK, HIS LIFE AND WORK 



armed which devour the weaker, and that the larger 

 kinds devour the smaller. Nevertheless, the indi- 

 viduals of a single species rarely devour each other : 

 they war upon other races.* 



" The multiplication of the small species of animals 

 is so considerable, and the renewals of their genera- 

 tions are so prompt, that these small species would 

 render the earth uninhabitable to the others if nature 

 had not set a limit to their prodigious multiplication. 

 But since they serve as prey for a multitude of 

 other animals, as the length of their life is very 

 limited, and as the lowering of the temperature kills 

 them, their numbers are always maintained in proper 

 proportions for the preservation of their races and 

 that of others. 



" As to the larger and stronger animals, they would 

 be too dominant and injure the preservation of other 

 races if they should multiply in too great proportions. 

 But their races devouring each other, they would only 

 multiply slowly and in a small number at a time ; this 

 would maintain in this respect the kind of equilibrium 

 which should exist. 



" Finally, only man, considered separately from all 

 which is characteristic of him, seems capable of mul- 

 tiplying indefinitely, because his intelligence and his 

 resources secure him from seeing his increase arrested 

 by the voracity of any animals. He exercises over 

 them such a supremacy that, instead of fearing the 

 larger and stronger races of animals, he is thus rather 

 capable of destroying them, and he continually checks 

 their increase. 



" But nature has given him numerous passions, 

 which, unfortunately, developing with his intelligence, 



* Perrier thus comments on this passage : Ici nous sommes Hen 

 prlsy seinbl€~t-il^ non seulement de la luite pour la vie telle que la cott' 

 cevra Darwin, mais iidme de la selection naturelle. Malheureuse- 

 ment, au lieu de poursuivre Vid^e, Lamarck aussifdt s^engage dans 

 utie autre voie" etc. (La Philosophic zoologique avant Darwin, p. 8r). 



