The chronicle=news., 1914-08-17

have to dispense, as seems likely.
with any addition from without we
must hegin seriously to consider
whether tho course OF evolution can
ut all reasonably be represented as
an unpacking of an original complex
which contained within itself the
whole range OF diversity which liv-
inG things present. do not suggest
that VIC should come to a Judgment
MS to what Is or is not probable in
these respects. ..-.
"As l have said already. this is
no time for dcvising theories
OF evolution. and PROFOUND none.
But as we have got to recognize that
there has been an evolution. that
somehow or other the forms OF life
have arisen from fewer forms, we
may as well see whether we are
limited to the old view that evolu-
Itionary progress is from the simple
to the complex. and whether after
all It Is conceivable that the process
was the other way about. ] ask you
simply to open your minds to this
possibility. 1t involves certain ef-
fort. We have to reverse our habit
ual modes of thought. At first 1t
may seem rank absurdity to suppose
that the primordial form OF forms
of protoplasm could have contained
complexity enough to produce the d.
vers tySss; Of life. But Is it easier
to imagine that these powers could
k,yH Hn 81 To-
additions? OF what nature could
these additions be? Additions of ma
terial can not surely be in question.
THAT promordial life may have
been Of small dimensions need not
disturb us. Quantity is OF no ac-
count in these considerations. Shake
spearc once existed as a speck OF
protop1asm not 30 big as small pins
head. To this nothing was added
that would not equally well have
served to build up baboon or a
rat.
Let us consider how far we can
get by the process OF removal of
what we call 'epistatic' factors. in
other words those that control, mask
or suppress underlying powers and
faculties. have spoken of the vast
range of colors exhibited by the mod |
ern sweet peas. There Is no ques-
tion that these have been derived
from the one wild bi-color form by
"a process OF successive removals. |
When the vast range Of form, size
and flavor found among the culti-
waited apples is considered. It seems |
t4 -1N J.Sr
'riety Is hidden in the wild crab-ap-
pie. I can not positively assert that
this is so. but think all familiar |
with the Mendelian analysis would |
agree with me that 1t is probable.
and that the wild crab contains pre-
sumably inhibiting elements which |
the cultivated kinds have lost.
II have confidence that the artistic |
gifts of mankind will prove to be
due not to something added to the
makeup of an ordinary man. but to |
the absence Of factors which in the
normal person inhibit the develop |
ment of these gifts. They are all
most beyond doubt to be looked upon
as releases Of power normally sup
pressed. The instrument is there,
but it is stopped down.
"Somewhae reluctantly. and rather
from a sense of duty have devoted /
most Of this address to the evolution
.ary aspects OF genetic research. Wei
cannot keep these things out of our
heads. though sometimes we wish we
could. The outcome, as you will have
seen, is negative. destroying much |
that till lately passed for gospel. De-
structfon may be useful, but 1t is a
low kind of work. We are Just about /
where Boyle was in the seventeenth /
century. We can dispose of Alchemy.
but we cannot make more than
quasi-chemistry. We are awaiting /
our priestly and our Mendeleeff. In
truth 1t is not these wider aspects /
of genetics that are at present our
chief concern. They will come in
their time. The great advances OF
science are made like those OF evolu-
tion. not by imperceptibie mass-im-
provement. but by the sporadic birth |
of penetrative genius. The journey
men follow after him. widening and
clearing up. as we are doing. along
the track that Mendel found"
Prof. Bateson will continue his ad-
dress next Thursday at Sydney, to
which city the association adjourns
after Its initial meeting here.
aaoan aAi. "a naaue