Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-12-14


the Natural History Society, were crowded out,
them.
He began by saying, 81 propose to attempt in
this paper, and in such brief manner as | may
within the customary limits an explanation of
the Development Theory, as it is called, or, as
its author, Mr.. Charles Darwin has called it,
"the preservation of favored races, in the strug-
gle for life, by means OF natural selection " He
had chosen this topic, he said, because the com
mon opinion in regard to it is vague and eTro-
neous; eloquent preachers who confess they
have never read Mr.. Darwin's work on the
'Ongn of Species" hurl authemas against his
theory; Others denoun2eit bandly, while among
naturalists and scientific men it has been well
received. He did not propose to advance argu-
ments for OF against the theory, lis aim being to
show what it is.
| He would begin with incontestable facts. In
natural history, the first classification OF matter
is into the organic and the inorganic. The in
organic includes all forms of matter without Or
gans or structure; the organic all those which
have organs, structure and lite,-plants and ami
mals,-and these are all "Ont Of the dust of the
ground" The DarWiniau theory does not I'M
dertake to account Tor the origin Of life; it re-
lateS to the development OF one species of plants
| or animals from another and teaches that the
| higher forms Of life, man incnded, have kim
| ship, by lineal descent, through countless ages
Of time, with the lower.
His theory is this all organic beings tend to
| increase in geometrcal progression, and this
| causes mortal struggle for existence in which
| only a few comparatively survive, and these are
such as are best fitted for the struggle. Vara-
| tiOns are developed which are transmitted to off
| spring. Changes accumulate in the same direc-
| ton and new species arise. The theory of
| Nautilus concerning population was explained,
| and was supposed to have suggested Darwin's.
| The order in which plants and animals made
| their appearance is apparent q pri0ri First
plants, next plant eaters, and finally flesh eat
| ers. No other order was possible; and this
| agrees exactly with paleOntoogy as well as with
| the Mosaic writings. He dwelt at some length
on the facts which show the struggle for life and
| Illustrate its rigor.
The next point was the influence of the law
Of hereditary descent. That like produces like
is true, but it is not the whole truth Offspring
| resemble parents but present differences also.
The tendency to vary is universal. No TWO Or
ganic forms are precisely similar The vara-
tiOns Of offspring from parent are sometimes
beneficial in the struggle for existence, aud
these are preserved by natural selection. Illus
tratOns OF this were specified and discussed
and the topic was pursued at some length TO
the conclusion that there is not color, nor an
organ, nor an instinct, nor an adaptive structure
of any kind for which this simple law that the
fttest survive in the struggle for life does not
appear to furnish an explanation. Both the or
g&nic kingdoms are full of the most marvellous
observation-disclosures Of design, as Paley calls
| Them" Natural selection Is the law of God
"the method of creation invented by the ere
| ator."
But the argument from design has limits
| For instance, there is no basis in truth for saw
Iat pI tn fI,,
man, for it existed ages before there was a
| human eye TO see it. The fossils of all ages
from the Silurian upwards, are proof; and there
are creatures hideOus in outward appearance,
whose interior structure reveals marvellous
beauty The DarWnian theory teaches that
there is no beauty, color, organ, Linstinct,
or structure of any kind, in the organic king
dOms of nature, which is not primarily and
| principally advantageous TO the possessOr; and
| he admits that If the contrary could be shown
| his theory would be animated The question
| of beauty as product of thellaw of natural Sc
lection, was pursued in an interesting way, at
| some length. How did plants, flowers, fruits,
| insects, birds, animals, acquire beauty? The
lecturer told happily how Mr.. Darwin answers
this question, and finds in every case an Illus
| tration of the law of natural selection. The
| cOurtship of birds and butterflies was described
| to show that sexual selection tends TO develope
| beauty in these creatures.
| The power of selection to modify species is H.
| Illustrated in the different varieties or breeds of
| our domestcdted animals and cultivated plants.
| Compare the racer and the Norman cart horse
| and see how Selective breeding has made them
| differ The greatest number of strongly
| marked variations produced by mans training
is seen in the varieties OF dogs, an animal
| which has probably been longer under domes-
| ticaton than any other. The differences in
| some eases seem almost to indicate different
| species. Mr.. Darwin uses for illustration the
| many marked variations produced in brcediny
| pigeons, all existing domestic varieties being de-
| scendants OF the rock pigeon. Youatt saws sr-
| lection Is the ma9lcian's wand which may be
used TO give animals whatever form or mould
the breeder peases." 1t is potent also with
| hOrticulturists to produce departures from the
| primitive stock and originate varieties. This
| topic was pursued at length and in a manner
which showed that the lecturer had studied i,
| carefully.
| Mr.. Darwin's theory throws great light on n
wide range Of paradoXical facts in botany and
| zoology. ~ Certain homOlogies apparent
| throughout the organic Kingdoms, furnish illus
| trationS, some of which were carefully discussed
| to the conclusion that they can be explained by
| the theory of common descent but not by that
of special creation. q IT explains discoveries
made in the study Of embryoogy Embryoes
| are indistinguishable in their first stage, and
| they are developed alike up to a certain point.
| lhls too was carefully discussed, in support of
the theory Of common origin. 81 Rudiment-
| airy organs exist in animals and plants in their
adult state, for which they have no use these
seem TO represent Il former condition of things
from which they have come down by Inherit
ance: the theory Of development accounts for
TINS resemblance between past and present
creatures THIS is a brief summary of points
| which we've discussed at length
In the next place, he took notice of objections
urged against Darwiu's theory. ~ IL is shall.
low to say "natural selection implies 4 conscious
desire in the organic forms developed. IL
means this no more than chemists meanit when
they attribute "electNe affinities" TO inorganic
matter 1t might perhaps be better to say with