42 LAW OF VARIATIONS. 



is this surprising seeing how profoundly ignorant we 

 are in regard to the normal and abnormal action of the 

 reproductive organs." 



He might, with equal propriety, say (and actually 

 does say it), " seeing how profoundly ignorant " he is, 

 respecting every one of the 100,000 facts of which he 

 treats — how profoundly ignorant he is of variation, of 

 reversion, of correlation, of crossing, &c. His ignor- 

 ance of the cause of crossing, and of close interbreed- 

 ing, is not near so surprising as is his temerity, in 

 endeavoring to teach breeders that they are only well 

 developed ourang outangs, when he confesses he can- 

 not inform them of the cause of any of the phenomena 

 with which they are meeting every day of their lives. 



His inability, however, to explain these facts, does 

 not necessarily vitiate his theory, as does his inability 

 to give the explanation, or the law, of variation. For 

 in the former case, he simply knows not how to explain 

 the facts; but, in the latter case, he is ignorant of the 

 law to which his data conform. He appears, through- 

 out his works, to plead most pathetically with his 

 readers (and all who are conversant with science, and 

 with his theory, know full well that he has ample 

 occasion to do so), to be so kind as not to be too 

 exacting at the start; and kindly to shut their eyes to 

 the circumstance that he is reasoning, not to a first prin- 

 ciple, but from his ignorance ! He also appears to plead 

 with his readers to be considerately blind to the cir- 

 cumstance, that, in default of any resolution of the law 

 of variations, he is is not entitled to the presumption 

 that they go on forever. 



