November 13, 1877.



CHAPTER I--ON CERTAIN ACQUIRED HABITS



It will be our business in the following chapters to consider whether
the unconsciousness, or quasi-unconsciousness, with which we perform
certain acquired actions, would seem to throw any light upon
Embryology and inherited instincts, and otherwise to follow the train
of thought which the class of actions above-mentioned would suggest;
more especially in so far as they appear to bear upon the origin of
species and the continuation of life by successive generations,
whether in the animal or vegetable kingdoms.

In the outset, however, I would wish most distinctly to disclaim for
these pages the smallest pretension to scientific value, originality,
or even to accuracy of more than a very rough and ready kind--for
unless a matter be true enough to stand a good deal of
misrepresentation, its truth is not of a very robust order, and the
blame will rather lie with its own delicacy if it be crushed, than
with the carelessness of the crusher. I have no wish to instruct,
and not much to be instructed; my aim is simply to entertain and
interest the numerous class of people who, like myself, know nothing
of science, but who enjoy speculating and reflecting (not too deeply)
upon the phenomena around them. I have therefore allowed myself a
loose rein, to run on with whatever came uppermost, without regard to
whether it was new or old; feeling sure that if true, it must be very