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powering verification furnished to the theory by the fact now before 
us—namely, that immediately prior to the enunciation of this theory, 
the truth that all adaptive characters have reference only to the 
species which present them was not perceived. In other words, it 
was the testing of this theory by the facts of nature that revealed to 
naturalists the general law which the theory, as it were, predicted— 
the general law that all adaptive characters have primary reference to 
the species which present them. And when we remember that this 
is a kind of verification which is furnished by millions of separate 
cases, the whole mass of it taken together is, as I have before said, 
overwhelming.”—(Darwin and After Darwin, p. 2Qi.) 
I have quoted this statement in extenso, lest by compression 
I should have fallen into unintentional misrepresentation. 
We must bear in mind that while Mr. Romanes asserts 
that all adaptive characters have reference only to the 
species which presents them, he admits that the functions, 
organs and instincts which are of primary importance to 
a species may also be of secondary utility to other species. 
He therefore may be understood to contend that it is a 
general law of nature that all adaptive characters have 
primary reference to the animals which possess them ; 
that immediately prior to the enunciation of the theory 
of Natural Selection this truth was not perceived ; and 
that it was the testing of the theory of Natural Selection 
which revealed to naturalists the general law which this 
theory, as it were, predicted. 
We must be very careful at the outset how we interpret 
statements to the effect that animals were endowed with 
instincts for the sole benefit of man. Take, for example, 
what Paul says with reference to the law :—“ thou shalt 
not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn.” He con 
tends apparently that the precept was not given for the 
benefit of oxen, but is only to be regarded as an alle 
gorical command to the effect that, as we should say in 
the present day, the workman should have “ a living 
wage,” that he should be able to live by his work. But