Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-06-17

mails are found in the separated loca-
tions.
The theory OF evolution is an old
| one. and had many able defenders
before Darwin. Lamarcis early in the
century supported the theory with the
| Idea Of the cumulative inheritance OF
| the effects OF use and disuse. For IN
| stance, an animal like the giraffe by
| continually stretching It's neck to
browse on the higher foliage. lncreased
the length OF It's neck and transmitted
this acquired character through hered-
1ty TO Its offspring. Whether such
characters can be transmitted Is de-
batable question, with thus far few
facts In support OF the proposition. To
Charles Darwin must be given the
credit OF firmly establishing the law
OF evolution. through the introduction
OF natural selection as the explaining
process.
a great many more plants and anil
mails are born than can possibly sur
vire. The supply OF space and OF food
Is limited, so there results a struggle
for existence" and a survival of the
flttest" That Is, nature selects those
best adapted TO the various conditions
OF life. and the rest go to the wall.
Those which survive transmit the adj
vantageous quality to their offspring.
or the descendants again some are bet
ter adapted for the struggle for life
hhhh hAHfiNf anu HuIllNts linus llntA or
descent, intensfylng particular clinrac-
tiers in each generation lead to the for
nation Of new varieties and finally OF
new species. The object OF natural Sc
lection is the preservation OF the spe-
Giles. 1t generally follows that this is
best brought about by the preserva-
tlon OF the individual The executions
lead to the development OF unselfah-
ness. resulting often In tho sacrifice
OF the individual life in order that the
species may flourish.
While there has been In evolution a
general Improvement OF type on type
through the ages and more and more
completely in the dlverging lines OF
descent yet II is often found that
actual degeneration OF certain organs,
aids In survival. Take the well-lnown
case OF parasites, which. having naught
TO do but eat and reproduce the spe-
cies. have lost all the other organs
which not being useful In preserving
life are In the way. a drain on the
general organism, and thus degencr-
ate.
The proof OF the struggle for exist
ence and survival OF the fittest ia
seen on every hand. Take the we'll
known and regretted introduction Of
the pugnacious English sparrow into
TINS country In many cities It has
an but eNterminated tho robins, blue
birds aud other formerly abundant spe-
Giles. In Australia these modernIv In
PRODUCED forms have so fiourlshed that
the remark Of the native IL for him
sadly true; "The white mans rat has
drlVen away our rat, the European
ny drives away our 1y, his clover kills
our grass. and go viii the Mnoris dis
appear before the white man him
self"
Natural selection demands that all
characters OF plants and animals and
All Instincts OF animals must be for
the usa OF the species In which they
arise, adapting them for the survival
IN the hcrce struggle for existence.
Among all the millions OF living things
there Is not n single Instance OF
character or instinct, primarily de-
veloped for the beneft Of other than
the species possessing Il.
For ages man has unconsclonsly car
rled on vast experiment to be used
by Darwin 10 prove natural selectIon
The breeder Of stock and the horticul-
tuTlst have produced at VIII in amy
desired direction new varieties Of do
nestle animals and plants. which. IL
found In nature. would rank as differ-
ent species, Taking advantage OF some
peculiarly with which the animal is
born. say spreading tail in the COM
mon pigeon, the fnncler selects to breed
from only such individuals as nos
sess this character Then OF the de-
seendants, those with tails atm more
spreading and 40 on until he has pro-
uuced the fan-tail pigeon. This in
stance will remind us OF hundreds on
here.
In nature, as an aid or the greatest
value In survival IL the fact that often
animals are protected from enemies bv
resembling IA color the surroundings.
as the Northern hare brown In siin,.
mer like the grass. and white in winter
mus inconsplouous upon the snow
Ihen, too, some caterplllsra OF n dis
agreeable flavor arc most gorgeousiv
colored and the birds approaching ne
connection OF brilliant color and bad
taste do not eat them. They are thus
let alone and survive, Now comes the
remarkable fact OF mimicry. Certain
edible forms happen to resemble tbn
species which are left unchten. and "a
mimic those protected by warning col
ors, and survive.
Sexual selection accounts for the de-
yelopment OF beauty, Those individuals
most attractive In any OF the count
less forms OF beauty. to tho Other.
sex, VIII be rcciprocally selected FOR
mating In the progeny of these The
more prominent characters win always
be inherited ana intensified IN each
sueceeuing generation until even such
marvel OF beauty MS the tail OF the
peacock should be produced
The relation Of parwnism to religion
and q purely scientific theory account
ing Tor facts may have such relation
only when both are considered as truth
u perhaps met by the attitude OF grent
religious thinkers. John Wesley wna
an evolutonist, Bishop Brooltp. Canon
Farrar Prof Drummond, James Frec.
man Clarke and host OF our Erent-
est living theoloEians have adopted cyo-
luton, Savage says. "Ret,yoon a
knowledge OF the laws OF God, which
Is science. and a reverent and LOVING
obedience TO the laws OF God, which
rs religion, II seems simply and onlv
absurd % suppose the possibility OF
amy conflict" Va
cannot better close this brief 70
sumo thnn In the words which com
sutute the anal paragraph OF the chief
work OF the greatest thinker OF this
century Charles Darwin. ut "a In
teresting 10 contemplate tangled
bank. clothed with many plants az
many kinds, with birds alnging on tho
bushes. with various insects hitting
about and with worms cra,yiinlf
through the damp earth. and 10 re-.
fleet that these deliberately constructed
forms, 80 different from each other.
and dependent on each other In So
complex = manner, have all been pro-
duced by laws acting around us. These
laws. taken In the largest sense, belnr