334 GEOEGE JOHN EOMANES i894 



and I have tried to explain my difficulty with regard 

 to it. Why should protoplasTn he able to adapt itself 

 into the millions of diverse mechanisms of nature by 

 converse with environment ? The theory of natural 

 selection gives a logically possible, even if it be 

 a biologically inadequate answer. But I cannot see 

 that the theory of self-adaptation does, unless it can 

 he shown that there is some sufficient reason why, say 

 a direct-environment should produce self-adaptation 

 in the direction of hairs, a marine one in that of 

 fleshiness, &c. &c. 



I have been very frank, because I know you, and 

 therefore that this is what you would prefer. But I 

 am too ill to make myself clear in a letter. I wish 

 you could stop here for a day on your way home, by 

 which time I shall probably have read your books, 

 and we might discuss the whole business before I 

 publish mine on the Post-Darwinian Theories. 



With very many thanks, 



I remain yours very truly, 



G-. J. EoMANES. 

 B[6tel Costebelle, Hyeres : February 24, 1894. 



Dear Mr. Henslow, — Nothing can be more clear 

 than are all your letters, and the last one, I take it, 

 sets at rest the only question which I had to ask. For 

 it expressly answers that, in your own view, hypothesis 

 of ' self-adaptation ' is a statement rather than an 

 ex'planation of the facts. Nevertheless, it is also to 

 some certain extent advanced as an explanation on 

 Lamarckian lines, for in your books (for which I 

 much thank you) you attribute adaptive mechanism 



