, 1875-07-04
DARWINBM.

twentyfour hours &fer from The nervous ahock caused
By the bu1n1.
DARWINBM.
TEE DECENT or MAN. BIZ CHARLES DARw1N. Serb
n<r. Monthly, July. Art: "Darwinism," by J. B.
DRunY.
The evolution theory was originally stated as
a mers hypothesis. IL SO appears in the "De-
ecent Of Man" It ia there merely suggested
that man may be the descendant OF leathery
sack, ctinRing heiplessly to rock. and forming
the lowest known form Of animal life. It il
commonly thought that Da1win's theory is that
man is descended from monkey. But ideas OF
this sort are as old as Greek thought. The real
theory originated By Mr.. Darwin is that OF Natu1al
Selection, or the Survival Of the Fstest. This is
we'll summed up By AIr. Drury II follows: In
view OF the severity Of the struggle for existence
those Individuals Of each species best fitted to
maintain the strugslo-i. e., the strongest;
those having the best means OF defense
against enemies or sudden changes OF
climate; those best endowed to SECURE their
needful food-live and leave offspring to perpet-
uate their advantageous pecnarlsles; while the
weaker, the less endowed, the less defensive.
perish" This, it will be seen, is not evolution,
but the explanation Of evolution. And this ia
stated by Mr.. Darwin with far more certainty
than he gives the old doctrine OF "man from
monkey. and monkey from polyp." In TACT, he
may be said to now believe in its absolute truth
10 him the Survival OF the F1ttest is the kew
which unlocks all the mysteries OF life. except
that OF its origin. Science only carries him
back to the polyp. He does not seek to
raise the veil behind which the First
Cause sits. But lie considers that nat
ural selection explains the origin OF every
form Of life above the lowest, the changes
Of form, the formation of the most complex or
eans, such rs tho eye and car, and the develop
rnent Of instincts and habits. Darw1n's haH-doz-
en- books are, in fact devoted to the proof OF q
proposition which mar be roughly put IN this
way; "Nasural selection explains evolution, If
evolution is rue,-which am inclined 70 think
it ls."
The array Of proofs be gives is 30 varied and
in great part SO technical that reader not
trained in science is utterly unable to weigh
them or judge them. He cannot tell whether
such -such thing is so-and-so or not. Mr.
Darwin says it is, and his say-so has great and
deserved weight, but it is not conclusive. st.
George 1Iiva1t, to say nothing OF other critics.
has tri2ned him. on several matters Of fact.
truth, how ie tho NAL unacquainted with science
to judge tho measure OF proof each OF them
offers? It We grant the existence OF rudment-
azy TAIL that may or may not be an argument IN
favor Of the survival OF the fttest Despite
these difficulties, it ls mot impossible to state the
general outlines of the argument in limited
space. Mr. Drury does this very we'll In the
magazine article which forms part Of our text.
3-~ 1t4 n&S7tS NJ A
different types Of existence Ia that each marked
type is due to special creation. The Dar"lnian
explanation is that they are each and sll,
cave ono, due to natural Selection. The
latter theory has two important and admitted
facts TO rsst upon, in the 6rst place. These are
inheritance and the gcometrical ratio in which
animals and plants increase. Heredity is an
everyday occurrence. The child bears the in
press Of the parent. Like produces like. The
law Of inheritance is used source Of profit in
| breeding animals procuring choice fruit, etc.
| No ous denies its existence, although few sub
scribe wholly to Mr. Cations belief in its ex-
tent. Experience proves. too. that living or
eanisms increase in q geometrical ra:io. E1e-
phants are believed to breed more slowly than
| any other animal, but the living offspring Of a
single pair have been estimated to humber nine
teen million ~ tue elo9o ~ '1o ,sA4s 9...N,4o -.
dent 1nAs soae aoteo 'n"e,
order TO pte'en' suo "o''o AAo
ing overcto"aeo' 1na .. eu. WA. 4s ..'s
fittest ~aleh mean7 tn0 o.e.. oet.oa '. @1e
unit, supplies this 1otce. .1no .no A4'"n e~.sS
ence OF heredlsy accoants tor LILO e""'u41'4o"
OF tho qualities "n'ca cause ea1'1'4 ~ Ano 70
ecendan:s Of the httest: % '.r "' u-'e kooo
ground for accepting MI: Da1".os eoae'usuas M s:ns
1t is whom We pass os 'n's pun |uas tuo t. .nA.
Guilty begins we may taae II .of et@''ou 'a-'
natural selection Is uua rus, ou1 1ne 4ase1on a. a.
ho" III ID II tue: "n1 'ne ~" ''la -, =. 'De ~
test account ios tne p'oouct1on y. ~ wv .,po7
OF life beyond tue one o''e'hnt 1u0ee 4ueo,
tlons need 10 90 answered. iol 'uo soune es1oo'
Of scientists sho~s N 1nclnA''on ~ @'ssp'
DarW1ns. 1aets' nypotn0'sa' Auu ~. s
gestons - ~ equA''5 @au anue4'eD ..o'
80 true tna1 PROOF uos ,
It is well enough 10 take e'@''1atlon ~ ~ ~A -
but the same rue canno' oe eA1et' "Ppno1 ~ '1.<
| SurViTal OF the fattes'' ~ D@t"4 4"osls,A-,
| this. 1t needs 20 Do pro'eo' ana ~ - oou''4 "