Darwin’s Variations [BF 
than this is, nor any more clearly indicating a mind ill at 
ease with itself. Sometimes “ants work by inherited 
instincts and inherited tools ;” * sometimes, again, it is 
surprising that the case of ants working by inherited 
instincts has not been brought as a demonstrative argu- 
ment “‘ against the well-known doctrine of inherited habit, 
as advanced by Lamarck.”+ Sometimes the winglessness 
of beetles inhabiting ocean islands is “‘ mainly due to natural 
selection,’’{ and though we might be tempted to ascribe 
the rudimentary condition of the wing to disuse, we are 
on no account to do so—though disuse was probably to 
some extent “ combined with ”’ natural selection ; at other 
times “‘it is probable that disuse has been the main means 
of rendering the wings of beetles living on small exposed 
islands ’’ rudimentary. We may remark in passing that if 
disuse, as Mr. Darwin admits on this occasion, is the main 
agent in rendering an organ rudimentary, use should have 
been the main agent in rendering it the opposite of rudi- 
mentary—that is to say, in bringing about its development. 
The ostensible raison d’étre, however, of the “ Origin of 
Species ” is to maintain that this is not the case. 
There is hardly an opinion on the subject of descent with 
modification which does not find support in some one 
passage or another of the “‘ Origin of Species.” If it were 
desired to show that there is no substantial difference 
between the doctrine of Erasmus Darwin and that of his 
grandson, it would be easy to make out a good case for this, 
in spite of Mr. Darwin’s calling his grandfather's views 
“ erroneous,” in the historical sketch prefixed to the later 
editions of the “ Origin of Species.” Passing over the. 
passage already quoted on p. 62 of this book, in which Mr. 
Darwin declares ‘“‘ habit omnipotent and its effects heredi- 
tary ’’—a sentence, by the way, than which none can be 
either more unfalteringly Lamarckian or less tainted with 
* & Origi Species,” ed. vi., p.233. Ibid. 
t a 109. . § Ibid., ed. vi., p. 401. 
