development agreed with those of the abeyance and recurrence of
memory, and the rationale of the fact that puberty in so many animals
and plants comes about the end of development. The principle
underlying longevity follows as a matter of course. I have no idea
how far Professor Hering would agree with me in the position I have
taken in respect of these phenomena, but there is nothing in the
above at variance with his lecture.

Another matter on which Professor Hering has not touched is the
bearing of his theory on that view of evolution which is now commonly
accepted. It is plain he accepts evolution, but it does not appear
that he sees how fatal his theory is to any view of evolution except
a teleological one--the purpose residing within the animal and not
without it. There is, however, nothing in his lecture to indicate
that he does not see this.

It should be remembered that the question whether memory is due to
the persistence within the body of certain vibrations, which have
been already set up within the bodies of its ancestors, is true or
no, will not affect the position I took up in "Life and Habit." In
that book I have maintained nothing more than that whatever memory is
heredity is also. I am not committed to the vibration theory of
memory, though inclined to accept it on a prima facie view. All I am
committed to is, that if memory is due to persistence of vibrations,
so is heredity; and if memory is not so due, then no more is
heredity.

Finally, I may say that Professor Hering's lecture, the passage
quoted from Dr. Erasmus Darwin on p. 26 of this volume, and a few
hints in the extracts from Mr. Patrick Mathew which I have quoted in