ARISTOTLE. 



47 



inheritance of mutilations, remarking that such in- 

 heritance, although observed, is decidedly rare.^ 



We can pass leniently by errors which are strewn 

 among such grand contributions to Biology and to 

 the very foundation-stones of the Evolution idea. 

 Aristotle showed practical ignorance of human 

 anatomy and physiology; he failed to establish a 

 natural classification ; he also fostered the abio- 

 genetic myth, that not only smaller but larger 

 animals, such as frogs, snakes, and eels, are pro- 

 duced spontaneously from the mud. Some of these 

 and many other of his mistaken teachings were not 

 wholly outlived until the present century ; yet we 

 may not allow them to detract from our general 

 admiration of his great genius. His failures in 

 descriptive science were chiefly in statements where 

 he departed from his own principle of verification, 

 and relied upon the scientific hearsay of his day. 



Aristotle's method has been fully discussed in 

 Lewes' very interesting work, Aristotle ; a Chap- 

 ter in the History of Science. While Plato had 

 relied upon intuitions as the main ground of true 

 knowledge, Aristotle relied upon experiment and 

 induction. " We must not," he said, " accept a 

 general principle from logic only, but must prove 

 its application to each fact ; for it is in facts that we 

 must seek general principles, and these must always 

 accord with facts. Experience furnishes the partic- 



1 See Brock, " Einige altere Autoren uber die Vererbung erworbcncr 

 Eigenschaften." Biolog, Centralbl. VIII. p. 491- 



