The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-05

has fully considered the proof OF organic evo
luton as q process which somehow or othel
has taken place. that he proceeds to consider
ho,o It has taken place. Referring the reader
to the book itself for the exposition OF both
kinds OF Affirmative evidence. we pass at once
to the criticisms OF Darwin's position and te
tho authors defence Of 1t.
z.
One Of tho first assailants OF the Darwinlan
theory was Owen. who objected that the strug-
gle for existence could only act as q cause OF
the extinction OF species. not OF their origina-
tion. Mr. Romanes submits that this view OF
the case shows on his part complete failure
to grasp the conception OF Darwlnism. Acting
alone. the struggle for existence could only
cause eStermination: but acting together
with variation. survival. and heredity. 1t may
very well. for anything that Owen has shown
to the contrary. have produced every species
OF plant and animal that has ever appeared
upon the face OF tho earth. Another and
closely allied objection is that the theory OF
natural selection "personines an abstraction"
or as the Duke OF Argyll states 1t. the theory
is essentially the image OF mechanical ne
cessity concealed under the clothes and pa
rading in the mask OF mental purpose. The
word natural suggests matter and the physi-
cal forces; the word selection suggests
mind. and the powers Of choice" 1t is
pointed out that this Is mere quibbling
about words Darwin called the principle
which he had discovered by the name natu-
raj selection. in order to mark the analogy be-
tween 1t and artificial selection. In this anal
ogy there was not necessarily supposed to be
in nature any counterpart to the mind Of the
reader. nor. therefore. to his powers OF intelli-
gent choice. There is. however. no need to
limit the term selection" to powers OF intell-
gent choice. bank Of seaweed on the sea-
shore may be said to have been selected by
the waves from all the surrounding sand and
stones. 30. too. 1t may be said that grain is
selected from chaff by the wind In the process
OF winnowing corn. Or. II it be thought that
any ambiguity is involved in such q use OF the
word in natural selection" there is no OBJ
lection to employing the phrase coined by
Herbert Spencer as its equivalent. namely
survival OF the flttest." The point OF OAR
wins theory is that those organisms which nre
best Quilted to thsir surroundings are allowed
to live and to propagate. while those which
are less suited are eliminated: and whether
we call this process o process Of selection. or
give 1t any other name. is clearly immaterial.
moro material question is raised when It
is asked whether the process is one that can
be ascribed to causation strictly natural. 1t
is often denied that such is the case on the
ground that natural selection does not orig.
mate the variations which It favors. but de-
ponds upon the variations being supplied by
some other means. All that natural selection
does is to preserve the suitable variations after
they have arisen. Natural selection does not
cause these suitable variations: and. there
fore. 1t Is argued that Darwin and his follow
ers IRE mistaken In representing the princi-
pie as one which produces adaptations.
This objection. also. seems to Mr.. 10
manes to betoken m extraordinary fail
ure to appreciate the very essence OF Oar
winian doctrine. It is. OF course. admitted
that natural selection does not produce varia-
tons of any Kind. whether beneficial or other
wise. But II it be granted that variations OF
many kinds are occurring In every generation.
and that natural selection is competent to
preserve the more favorable among Them
then 1t is pronounced unQuestionable that this
principle OF selection deserves to be regarded
as in the full sense OF the word-a natural
cause. The variations being expressly looked
upon by the theory as more or less promiscu-
Gus. survival Of the tlttest becomes the win
moving fan whose function 1t Is to elm
mate all the chaff in each gener-
. ton In order to preserve the good grain out |
OF which to constitute the next generation. |
AS this process. moreover. is supposed to DO |
continuous through successive generations,
Its action is supposed to be cumulative till |
lrom tho eye OF worm there is gradu-
ally developed the eve OF an eagle. 1t follows |
from these suppositions that il it had not been |
Tor the process Of selection such development |
would never have been begun: and that in tho |
exact measure Of its efficiency will the devel- |
opment proceed. But any agency without the |
operation OF which result cannot take
place. may properly be designated the
cause OF that result It Is the agency
which. in cooperation with all the other
agencies in the cosmos. produces that result
When Darwin calls the multitudinous varis-
ions OF plants and animals " accidental" he
says that he does not suppose them
% be accidental In the sense Of not all being
lue to definite causes. But they are accidental
n relation to the sitting process OF natural Sc
ection: oil that they have to do is to furnish
he promiscuous material on which the sitting
process acts. Darwin's critics have misunder-
stood this term accidental" which he used in
is original and philosophically correct sense.
There is another very prevalent misunder-
Standing of the Darwinian theory. Why. 1t Is
Isked. II some species arc supposed to have
'een improved by natural selection. have not
III species been similarly improvedP Why
hould not all invertebrated animals have
isen into vertebrated? Why should not all
monkeys have become men? In the first place.
nswers Mr. Romanes. 1t by no means follows
hat because an advance in organization has
roved itself OF benefit in the case OF one
orm OF life. therefore any or every other
orm would have been similarly benefit
ed by n similar advance The business
natural selection is to bring this and
hat form Of life into the closest harmony
nth its environment that all the conditions Of
he case permit. Sometimes 1t will happen
hat the harmony will admit OF being improved
y an improvement OF organization But Just as
ften 1t will happen that it will be best secured
y leaving matters as they are. II. there
're. an organism has already been brought
Ito tolcrably full degree OF harmony with
9 environment. natural selection will not
y to change 1t 30 long as the environment
'mains Unchanged: this. no doubt. Is the
sason why some species have survived through
normous periods OF geological time without
avinR undergone any change. 1t Is some
mes further urged. however. that thore are
lses where We cannot doubt that improve
! of .t,.As 80 4 /