Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-09-27

it is most difficult to say where perfect
fertility ends and sterility begins (rhat
is, even admitting sterility to be to
some extent the result in the n'er
crossing of species, the species then
are even in this respect united by
imperceptible gradatons) | think
no better evidence of this can he re.
quired than that the two most expert
enced observers who have ever lived,
kolreuter and Gartner, should have
arrived at diametr cally opposite conclu.
sions in regard to the very same SPECIES.
IL can thus be shown that neither ster.
ility nor fertility affords any clear dis
tinction between species and varieties.
Origin of Species. PIP. 2l9-22O) The
experiments manipulated by the above
mentioned nGturallsts he declares TO be
failure on reasonable ground. He has,
on the contrary, found by experiments
that certain individuals and all the IN
dividuals of certain species can actually
be by bridized much more readily than
they can be self,fertilsed! %. 22) He
adduces also several explanations for
the tluctuating character of fertility.
which are perfectly consistent with the
theory of organic evolution, since this
latter can not bear dny distinction be-
tDeen species and varieties. Lastly he
remarks: FINALLY, then, the facts
briefly given in this chapter do not seem
to ME to oppose but even rather to sup
port the view that there is no funda
mental distinction between species and
varieties" Up. 244); and in previous
chapter: From these remarks it will he
seen that | look at the term species as
one arbitrarily given for the sake of
convenience to a set of individuals
closely resembling each other, and that
1t does not essentially differ from the
term variety, which il given to less dis
tinct and more fuctuating forms" (p. 3d.
Not less weighty are the facts and re-
marks attached to this subject by liackel,
who has shown that, on the one hand,
varieties If the same species are not al
ways fertile, as is the ca e with the
guinea pig. the Port Santo rabbits Tor
Sepus HuxleyiD etc and, on the other
hand, that not only many different spe
cies ESQ calltd) are found to be- fertile AS
is the case with hare and rabbit (Lepus
Darwinii), "bu: even different genera,
sheep and goats, have been bred for
long time in Chill for industrial pur.
poses" THE phenomena of hybrldlsm'
concludes the same biologist, ito
which undue Importance has been erro
neOusly attributed, are thus utterly
unmeaning, so far rs the idea of species
is concerned" (''Hlstory of Creation"
p. 14S).
have expected, therefore, to hear
DR.. Stebellng's opinion regarding the
question of species plainly stated and
accompanied by some reasons and facts
to support it, But he has not done it,
He has, merely repeated explicitly the
statement he implied in his article
(WoRKMEv's ADVOCATE of Aug. 81 on
the development of Mmkind'. against
which my question has been directed.
~ Are we to accept it as a dogma? If not
then let the DR.. state the reason lying be.
hind the conclusions into which he has
kindly initiated us. The exclamation
"Eureka!' is of scientific origin and
must be followed by facts at once, or
retained till the accumulation of facts is
complete. Once has he announced his
theory, we have a right to demand its
corrohoration. In hope that he will do
it before long for the benefit of scientific
students | conclude my remarks with
one more question relating to.an impii-
cation conveyed by his article. The
author mentions there twice the instincts
of self preservation of species, once pre-
senting them as balancing each other,
and another time as their balance being
disturbed. This implies that these two
instincts are antagonistic in their rela
ton to ach other. Now, fail to see
wherein lies this antagonistc character:
To my mind their relation to each other
is as existence to continuity which are
by no means antanogIstic. If the detini
ton for individual reproduction, that 1t
is "a mere continuation of growth of an
individual outside its limited SIZE E, O.
luton of man" HackeD. be correct, then
preservation of species, which means
the reproduction Of the species as a
whole, may be best defined as the con
tinuation of existence (self preservation)
beyond the limited time assigned TO use
poetical expression) to mortal being.
W. GOLDEN.
New York Sent II.