their　kind　with　no　thought　or　heed　of　what　we　might　think　about　it。
  These　little　creatures　are　part　of　our　own　reproductive　system；
  then　why　not　we　part　of　that　of　the　machines？
  〃But　the　machines　which　reproduce　machinery　do　not　reproduce
  machines　after　their　own　kind。　　A　thimble　may　be　made　by　machinery；
  but　it　was　not　made　by；　neither　will　it　ever　make；　a　thimble。
  Here；　again；　if　we　turn　to　nature　we　shall　find　abundance　of
  analogies　which　will　teach　us　that　a　reproductive　system　may　be　in
  full　force　without　the　thing　produced　being　of　the　same　kind　as
  that　which　produced　it。　　Very　few　creatures　reproduce　after　their
  own　kind；　they　reproduce　something　which　has　the　potentiality　of
  becoming　that　which　their　parents　were。　　Thus　the　butterfly　lays　an
  egg；　which　egg　can　become　a　caterpillar；　which　caterpillar　can
  become　a　chrysalis；　which　chrysalis　can　become　a　butterfly；　and
  though　I　freely　grant　that　the　machines　cannot　be　said　to　have　more
  than　the　germ　of　a　true　reproductive　system　at　present；　have　we　not
  just　seen　that　they　have　only　recently　obtained　the　germs　of　a
  mouth　and　stomach？　　And　may　not　some　stride　be　made　in　the
  direction　of　true　reproduction　which　shall　be　as　great　as　that
  which　has　been　recently　taken　in　the　direction　of　true　feeding？
  〃It　is　possible　that　the　system　when　developed　may　be　in　many　cases
  a　vicarious　thing。　　Certain　classes　of　machines　may　be　alone
  fertile；　while　the　rest　discharge　other　functions　in　the　mechanical
  system；　just　as　the　great　majority　of　ants　and　bees　have　nothing　to
  do　with　the　continuation　of　their　species；　but　get　food　and　store
  it；　without　thought　of　breeding。　　One　cannot　expect　the　parallel　to
  be　complete　or　nearly　so；　certainly　not　now；　and　probably　never；
  but　is　there　not　enough　analogy　existing　at　the　present　moment；　to
  make　us　feel　seriously　uneasy　about　the　future；　and　to　render　it
  our　duty　to　check　the　evil　while　we　can　still　do　so？　　Machines　can
  within　certain　limits　beget　machines　of　any　class；　no　matter　how
  different　to　themselves。　　Every　class　of　machines　will　probably
  have　its　special　mechanical　breeders；　and　all　the　higher　ones　will
  owe　their　existence　to　a　large　number　of　parents　and　not　to　two
  only。
  〃We　are　misled　by　considering　any　complicated　machine　as　a　single
  thing；　in　truth　it　is　a　city　or　society；　each　member　of　which　was
  bred　truly　after　its　kind。　　We　see　a　machine　as　a　whole；　we　call　it
  by　a　name　and　individualise　it；　we　look　at　our　own　limbs；　and　know
  that　the　combination　forms　an　individual　which　springs　from　a
  single　centre　of　reproductive　action；　we　therefore　assume　that
  there　can　be　no　reproductive　action　which　does　not　arise　from　a
  single　centre；　but　this　assumption　is　unscientific；　and　the　bare
  fact　that　no　vapour…engine　was　ever　made　entirely　by　another；　or
  two　others；　of　its　own　kind；　is　not　sufficient　to　warrant　us　in
  saying　that　vapour…engines　have　no　reproductive　system。　　The　truth
  is　that　each　part　of　every　vapour…engine　is　bred　by　its　own　special
  breeders；　whose　function　it　is　to　breed　that　part；　and　that　only；
  while　the　combination　of　the　parts　into　a　whole　forms　another
  department　of　the　mechanical　reproductive　system；　which　is　at
  present　exceedingly　complex　and　difficult　to　see　in　its　entirety。
  〃Complex　now；　but　how　much　simpler　and　more　intelligibly　organised
  may　it　not　become　in　another　hundred　thousand　years？　or　in　twenty
  thousand？　　For　man　at　present　believes　that　his　interest　lies　in
  that　direction；　he　spends　an　incalculable　amount　of　labour　and　time
  and　thought　in　making　machines　breed　always　better　and　better；　he
  has　already　succeeded　in　effecting　much　that　at　one　time　appeared
  impossible；　and　there　seem　no　limits　to　the　results　of　accumulated
  improvements　if　they　are　allowed　to　descend　with　modification　from
  generation　to　generation。　　It　must　always　be　remembered　that　man's
  body　is　what　it　is　through　having　been　moulded　into　its　present
  shape　by　the　chances　and　changes　of　many　millions　of　years；　but
  that　his　organisation　never　advanced　with　anything　like　the
  rapidity　with　which　that　of　the　machines　is　advancing。　　This　is　the
  most　alarming　feature　in　the　case；　and　I　must　be　pardoned　for
  insisting　on　it　so　frequently。〃
  CHAPTER　XXV：　　THE　MACHINESconcluded
  Here　followed　a　very　long　and　untranslatable　digression　about　the
  different　races　and　families　of　the　then　existing　machines。　　The
  writer　attempted　to　support　his　theory　by　pointing　out　the
  similarities　existing　between　many　machines　of　a　widely　different
  character；　which　served　to　show　descent　from　a　common　ancestor。　　He
  divided　machines　into　their　genera；　subgenera；　species；　varieties；
  subvarieties；　and　so　forth。　　He　proved　the　existence　of　connecting
  links　between　machines　that　seemed　to　have　very　little　in　common；
  and　showed　that　many　more　such　links　had　existed；　but　had　now
  perished。　　He　pointed　out　tendencies　to　reversion；　and　the　presence
  of　rudimentary　organs　which　existed　in　many　machines　feebly
  developed　and　perfectly　useless；　yet　serving　to　mark　descent　from
  an　ancestor　to　whom　the　function　was　actually　useful。
  I　left　the　translation　of　this　part　of　the　treatise；　which；　by　the
  way；　was　far　longer　than　all　that　I　have　given　here；　for　a　later
  opportunity。　　Unfortunately；　I　left　Erewhon　before　I　could　return
  to　the　subject；　and　though　I　saved　my　translation　and　other　papers
  at　the　hazard　of　my　life；　I　was　a　obliged　to　sacrifice　the　original
  work。　　It　went　to　my　heart　to　do　so；　but　I　thus　gained　ten　minutes
  of　invaluable　time；　without　which　both　Arowhena　and　myself　must
  have　certainly　perished。
  I　remember　one　incident　which　bears　upon　this　part　of　the　treatise。
  The　gentleman　who　gave　it　to　me　had　asked　to　see　my　tobacco…pipe；
  he　examined　it　carefully；　and　when　he　came　to　the　little
  protuberance　at　the　bottom　of　the　bowl　he　seemed　much　delighted；
  and　exclaimed　that　it　must　be　rudimentary。　　I　asked　him　what　he
  meant。
  〃Sir；〃　he　answered；　〃this　organ　is　identical　with　the　rim　at　the
  bottom　of　a　cup；　it　is　but　another　form　of　the　same　function。　　Its
  purpose　must　have　been　to　keep　the　heat　of　the　pipe　from　marking
  the　table　upon　which　it　rested。　　You　would　find；　if　you　were　to
  look　up　the　history　of　tobacco…pipes；　that　in　early　specimens　this
  protuberance　was　of　a　different　shape　to　what　it　is　now。　　It　will
  have　been　broad　at　the　bottom；　and　flat；　so　that　while　the　pipe　was
  being　smoked　the　bowl　might　rest　upon　the　table　without　marking　it。
  Use　and　disuse　must　have　come　into　play　and　reduced　the　function　to
  its　present　rudimentary　condition。　　I　should　not　be　surprised；
  sir；〃　he　continued；　〃if；　in　the　course　of　time；　it　were　to　become
  modified　still　farther；　and　to　assume　the　form　of　an　ornamental
  leaf　or　scroll；　or　even　a　butterfly；　while；　in　some　cases；　it　will
  become　extinct。〃
  On　my　return　to　England；　I　looked　up　the　point；　and　found　that　my
  friend　was　right。
  Returning；　however；　to　the　treatise；　my　translation　recommences　as
  follows：…
  〃May　we　not　fancy　that　if；　in　the　remotest　geological　period；　some
  early　form　of　vegetable　life　had　been　endowed　with　the　power　of
  reflecting　upon　the　dawning　life　of　animals　which　was　coming　into
  existence　alongside　of　its　own；　it　would　have　thought　itself
  exceedingly　acute　if　it　had　surmised　that　animals　would　one　day
  become　real　vegetables？　　Yet　would　this　be　more　mistaken　than　it
  would　be　on　our　part　to　imagine　that　because　the　life　of　machines
  is　a　very　different　one　to　our　own；　there　is　therefore　no　higher
  possible　development　of　life　than　ours；　or　that　because　mechanical
  life　is　a　very　different　thing　from　ours；　therefore　that　it　is　not
  life　at　all？
  〃But　I　have　heard　it　said；　'granted　that　this　is　so；　and　that　the
  vapour…engine　has　a　strength　of　its　own；　surely　no　one　will　say
  that　it　has　a　will　of　its　own？'　　Alas！　if　we　look　more　closely；　we
  shall　find　that　this　does　not　make　against　the　supposition　that　the
  vapour…engine　is　one　of　the　germs　of　a　new　phase　of　life。　　What　is
  there　in　this　whole　world；　or　in　the　worlds　beyond　it；　which　has　a
  will　of　its　own？　　The　Unknown　and　Unknowable　only！
  〃A　man　is　the　resultant　and　exponent　of　all　the　forces　that　have
  been　brought　to　bear　upon　him；　whether　before　his　birth　or
  afterwards。　　His　action　at　any　moment　depends　solely　upon　his
  constitution；　and　on　the　intensity　and　direction　of　the　various
  agencies　to　which　he　is；　and　has　been；　subjected。　　Some　of　these
  will　counteract　each　other；　but　as　he　is　by　nature；　and　as　he　has
  been　acted　on；　and　is　now　acted　on　from　without；　so　will　he　do；　as
  certainly　and　regularly　as　though　he　were　a　machine。
  〃We　do　not　generally　admit　this；　because　we　do　not　know　the　whole
  nature　of　any　one；　nor　the　whole　of　the　forces　that　act　upon　him。
  We　see　but　a　part；　and　being　thus　unable　to　generalise　human
  conduct；　except　very　roughly；　we　deny　that　it　is　subject　to　any
  fixed　laws　at　all；　and　ascribe　much　both　of　a　man's　character　and
  actions　to　chance；　or　luck；　or　fortune；　but　these　are　only　words
  whereby　we　escape　the　admission　of　our　own　ignorance；　and　a　little
  reflection　will　teach　us　that　the　most　daring　flight　of　the
  imagination　or　the　most　subtle　exercise　of　the　reason　is　as　much
  the　thing　that　must　ar