206 MAMMALIAN DESCENT. [Lect. IX. 



Is there anytliing in the human organism of which 

 it can be said, "See, this is new?" No; "it hath 

 ah^eady been in the okl time that was before us." 



We modern English, I think, ought to be put 

 somewhere between the okl Greeks and the ancient 

 Jews in any ckssification that shoukl be made of the 

 race, according; to its mental characteristics. The Jews 

 required a "sign," the Greeks sought after wisdom; we 

 clamorously ask for the former, whilst groping after the 

 latter. It is just possible that \\i\\\ these mental modi- 

 fications the finest and happiest breed of Men may be 

 1)rought into Ijeing after the long ages of human evolu- 

 tion, and that the latest birth of science will be that 

 which will satisfy and satiate the longings of this mixed 

 kind of j\Ian. 



I see in every flower, in every insect, that which 

 absolutely transcends, not only the highest human skill, 

 but our utmost efi'orts of thouo-ht and fliohts of imaoina- 



o o o 



tion. These insects are highly comj)lex organisms ; but 

 lower organisms are really as wonderful. I S23ent some 

 of the best years of my life in conjunction with scientific 

 friends in the study of the "Protozoa," or simple primary 

 animal forms, and we found that the apparently simple 

 fiesh-stufi" or protoplasm of which these creatures are 

 formed could do such wonders of quasi-architectural 

 growth, as made all our human cleverness but as the 

 cleverness of a speaking Fish or a wise Pig. 



Now the Protozoa end where we begin ; we are 



