prefer to the fierce Spaniard the genial Portuguese, discussing all subjects without rancour, and lover of bull-fights though he be, taking care to wrap in cork the horns of his fighting bulls? The earlier chapters treat of the arrangement of the mammalian hair, which has occupied my attention for over twenty years, and this has led straight to the other subjects, because of their bearing on Lamarckism and Initiative in Evolution. The tentative conclusions reached years ago have been strengthened by further knowledge and reflection, and perhaps by certain criticisms. The furrow ploughed may have been lonely, but the pursuit has not been without the mild pleasure of seeing fresh scattered portions of the field coming into their natural order. The resulting state of mind resembles that of a certain Mr. Burke recorded in the annals of a golf club, second to none, the Ancient, and now Royal Blackheath, among whose minutes appears the following:-- “20th September, 1834. Present, Mr. Burke, _Solus_. The dinner was good, wine abundant, and the utmost harmony prevailed. The want of grouse was severely felt this day.” It is written on page 101 of the _Chronicles of Blackheath Golfers_. My debt to such writings as those of Professors Arthur Keith, Woods Jones, Graham Kerr, and Professors Sherrington, Starling, Schäfer, McDougall and Ward is too obvious to the reader to need more than a bare mention. I have to thank one critic, Miss Inez Whipple, now Mrs. H. Wilder Harris, for her able if hostile criticism of two former books of mine which has been of use in this one; and Mr. R. E. Holding for good help extending over many years in the preparation of the illustrations, and for many a good suggestion. W.K. CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I.--From Known to Unknown 1 II.--Review of the Position 8 III.--The Problems Presented 22 IV.--Initial Variations and Total Experience 30 V.--Method of Proof 36 VI.--Evidence from Arrangement of Hair 39 VII.--The Evolution of Patterns of Hair 50 VIII.--Can Muscular Action change the Direction of Hair in the Individual? 64 IX.--Habits and Hair of Ungulates 74 X.--Habits and Hair of Ungulates 86 XI.--Habits and Hair of Carnivores 92 XII.--Habits and Hair of Carnivores 98 XIII.--Habits and Hair of Primates 103 XIV.--Miscellaneous Examples 115 XV.--Experimental 124 XVI.--First Summary 140 XVII.--Varieties of Epidermis 145