552 The American Naturalist. [July, 
creation ”—which justify an attack on natural selection. Even 
plants must grow in determinate or “select ” directions in order 
to live. 
4. So we may say, finally, that Organic Selection, while it- 
self probably a congenital variation (or original endowment) 
works to secure new qualifications for the creature’s survival ; 
and its very working proceeds by securing a new application 
of the principle of natural selection to the possible modifica- 
tions which the organism is capable of undergoing. Romanes 
says: “it is impossible that heredity can have provided in 
advance for innovations upon or alterations in its own ma- 
chinery during the lifetime of a particular individual.” To 
this we are obliged to reply in summing up—as I have done 
hefore (ref. 2, p. 220)—we reach “just the state of things which 
Romanes declares impossible—heredity providing for the 
modification of its own machinery. Heredity not only leaves 
the future free for modifications, it also provides a method of 
life in the operation of which modifications are bound to 
come.” 
VI. 
The Matter of Terminology—I anticipate criticism from the 
fact that several new terms have been used in this paper. In- 
deed one or two of these terms have already been criticised. I 
think, however, that novelty in terms is better than ambigu- 
ity in meanings. And in each case the new term is intended 
to mark off a real meaning which no current term seems to ex- 
press. Taking these terms in turn and attempting to define 
them, as I have used them, it will be seen whether in each case 
the special term is saatited- if not, I shall be only two glad to 
abandon it. 
Organic Selection—The process of ontogenetic adaptation 
considered as keeping single organisms alive and so securing 
determinate lines of variation in subsequent generations. 
Organic Selection is, therefore, a general principle of develop- 
ment which is a direct substitute for the Lamarkian factor in 
most, if not in all instances. If it is really a new factor, then 
it deserves a new name, however contracted its sphere of ap- 
peene may finally turn out to be. The use of the word 
