THE 
AMERICAN NATURALIST 
rr 
Vor. XXVI. July, 1892. 307 
THE DIFFICULTIES IN THE HEREDITY THEORY. 
By Henry FAIRFIELD OSBORN. 
THE CARTWRIGHT LECTURES For 1892, II. 
(Continued from Page 481, Vol. XXVI) 
“ Nur muss ich nochmals betonen, dass nach meiner Auffassung der Anfang einer 
neuen Reihe erblicher Abweichungen, also auch der Eintritt einer neuen Art ohne 
eine vorausgegangene erworbene Abweichung undenkbar ist.”—VIRCHOW. 
State of Opinion.—The above quotation from one of the 
most eminent authorities of our times represents the unshaken 
conviction of a very large class upon one side of the question 
of transmission of acquired characters, which is met by equally 
firm conviction upon the other side. 
Herbert Spencer, whose entire system of Hitoy. psychol- 
ogy, and ethics is based upon such transmission, says: “ 
will only add that, considering the width and depth of the 
effects which acceptance of one or other of these hypotheses 
must have on our views of Life, Mind, Morals, and Politics, the 
question Which of them is true? demands, beyond all other 
questions whatever, the attention of scientific men.” This 
shows that Spencer considers the matter still sub judice, and 
lest you may think I am bringing before you an issue in 
. Which learning and experience are ranged against ignorance 
ve and prejudice, I have taken some pains, by correspondence 
=o Century, 1889. 
