CHAPTER XVI 

 THE EVOLUTION OF CONTINUITY 



While Evolution, in the widest sense, is based on the 

 fundamental principles of Attraction and Repulsion, it has in 

 the case of living matter two distinct aspects which must 

 be clearly recognised if confusion is to be avoided. These 

 may be defined as : — 



I. The Evolution op the Different Types of 



Living Continuity. 

 II. The Evolution of Different Species within 

 each Continuity-Type. 



The distinction is of the greatest importance, but its 

 non-recognition has been universal and has increased the 

 complexity of a most difficult problem. For though at 

 the present day the principle of Evolution has been placed 

 on an immovable basis, the method of the process, and the 

 laws involved, have so far not been clearly demonstrated. 

 As a result the main road of Evolution appears to be inter- 

 rupted by unbridgeable gaps. But with the recognition 

 that Evolution is primarily the evolution of Continuity, 

 the whole subject becomes illuminated, and this whether it 

 deals with cells or cell-multiples, Individuals or species. 

 The present and immediately succeeding chapters deal 

 with Continuity's evolution, the Origin of Species being 

 considered separately in later pages. 



With respect to Evolution generally, there is one sugges- 

 tion which it is desirable to make before going any farther, 

 and that is that what we may call the " main road " of 

 Evolution, leading to man, has probably not passed through 

 any living organisms, past or present, of which we are 

 cognisant. 



We may feel quite certain of this as regards the organisms 



existing at the present day, for these are one and all at 



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