PREFACE. 



The Great War imposed on speculative biology a moratorium as 

 in the long vacation of lawyers, in which are causes left over to 

 the next term. And so the old case Lamarck versus Weismann 

 was not heard in the Courts of Science during the war. In the 

 present term it is due to be heard afresh, and at some future date 

 to come up for settlement. The chapters that follow comprise 

 some of the pleadings on behalf of the plaintiff and are part of the 

 brief of a junior counsel. This adjective, alas ! signifies not the 

 years — f or such are often old enough to be the fathers of the leaders 

 — but the standing and attainments of a junior. But in the open 

 Court of Science, and on suited occasions, it may be the business 

 of a junior to question, in the interests of his client, the authority 

 even of Attorneys-General and Lords Chief Justice. In matters 

 of thought and inquiry it is useless to retreat within a stronghold 

 and bar the gates. It may be satisfactory to himself for one 

 Milner to write a book on behalf of a certain body of doctrine and 

 call it The End of Controversy, but the book should have held the 

 sub-title The End of Progress. The Newtons, Pasteurs and 

 Darwins have seldom wielded the weapon of controversy, though 

 the triumph of The Origin of Species would have been slower 

 without the aid of Darwin's brilliant champion and candid friend. 

 But, if the leaders seldom need such help, for the Gibeonite it is a 

 matter of course and simple necessity. With all the urbanity 

 due to the great subject-matter should this pleasant duty be 

 performed. Who would not prefer to the fierce Spaniard the genial 

 Portuguese, discussing all subjects without rancour, and lover of 

 bull-fights though he be, taking care to wrap in cork the horns of 

 his fighting bulls ? 



The earlier chapters treat of the arrangement of the mam- 

 malian hair, which has occupied my attention for over twenty 



