LAMARCK. 



179 



spontaneous generation of these organisms was still 

 going on.^ 



After studying Lamarck and finding how iiuich 

 there is of great value in his system, \vc have to re- 

 cord that he exerted astonishingly little influence, 

 and, in France at least, was only followed by a single 

 writer. This was partly due to the stigma which 

 ' was placed upon the transmutation theory, and the 

 strong opposition to Lamarck's doctrine by Cuvier, 

 the most influential naturalist of the time. As La- 

 marck retired from active life after the loss of his 

 eyesight, he became a less and less known figure ; 

 he could take no direct part in spreading his doc- 

 trines, and left the arena of discussion open to 

 Cuvier and St. Hilaire. 



Lamarck, as a naturalist, exhibited exceptional 

 powers of definition and description, while in his 

 philosophical wTitings upon Evolution, his specula- 

 tion far outran his observations, and his theory 

 suffered from the absurd illustrations which he 

 brought forward in support of it. It was such ex- 

 amples as the method of evolution of the snakes, 

 which gave Lamarck's critics their opportunity of 

 throwing all his ideas into ridicule ; and from some 

 of these brief illustrations his critics spread the im- 

 pression that he believed animals acquired new or- 

 gans simply by wishing for them. His really sound 

 speculation in Zoology was also injured by his ear- 

 Her and thoroughly worthless speculation in Chem- 



iQken's similar theory was not advanced until 1S05. 



