New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-26
EXPERIMENTAL DARWJNJSu.n

N me Jardin des Plantes In Paris there is a
me44agerie that has hitherto been only a source
OF popular entertainment The recent death Of
the director has led to the suggestion that
something more be attempted. and that the in
sutution undergo a reorganization with an adj
dluonal purpose In view The idea originated
with one Gustave Losel. whose exact status If
Is not easy TO determine; but he Is an amateur
or professional devotee Of biology apparently
Tor he aims to employ the collection of animals
referred to as Laboratory Of experimental
Darwlnlsm The announcement will excite
speculation about the possibilities of such q
venture. What may NJ. Losel reasonably hone
to accomplish II his wish is granted?
Goehe who was a naturalist as we'll as
poet' Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck were
among the first thinkers to susnect that oil
plants and all animals had common parent
age. II the similarity between two groups was
suong this ancestry was held TO be compara-
lively recent; If the diversity was great. II was
remote The explanations of the divergence of
one species or genus from another which these
men oHered were crude, If any were proposed
at all But II was agreed that there was an in
herent varia bility IN both animal and vegetabIe
Ire, "hlch must result in extensive metamor-
phosis. Charles Darwin sought IN do +wo
Things: To verify this supposition and to dis
cover tne force or forces which had guided the
tendency TO vary, or, in other words 70 find
the origin OF Species" So well was his fret
task performed and so much corroborative tes
umony has been supplied by other naturallsts
since Darwins day, that practically no one en-
tertains doubt about mutability itself, though
universally acceptable theory about the tnf1u-
ences that have given direction 10 II has nor
been advanced
10 Darwin a study of certain domesttcat ed
animals proved extremely suggestive Differ
ences IN size, speed, grace and other charsc
terlsucs IN dogs and horses were nor only ner
petuated but widened by careful breeding. Rv
Judclous mating Of parents desirable ouaI-
tiee were strengthened in the progeny, and
conspicuous departure effected from unim.
proved stock. These results were OF eoursa
beyond dispute; and Darwin inferred that nat.
ure mad produced similar effects by q sona
"hat similar process. Furthermore either IN
warfare with each other or the struggle against
olher adverse conditions, large proportion op
the OFFSPRING of every class of parents he held
would be exterminated, and only the f1ttest
would survive. Now, while there has ALWAYS
oeen much in this doctrine of natural selec
uon 10 commend it to the approval of bioIo
glsts. they are not all ready to accept II even
To-Day, more than forty years after II was fret
given to the world
IL may be assumed that the object of Slab
oratory of experimental Darwinism" yonId ha
70 thro" hght on matters discussed by Darwin.
Out nol uisposed OF Dy him In a way which ia
SATISFACTORY TO every one whose opinion has anv
vaiue or these topics, the only one on which
'here is still serious disagreement is natural
seiecuon. II any work could be done ot tho
farls ZOO which would bear on the soundness
Oh thls hypothesis, naturalists would be greatly
pleased; but the success of the proposed pIan "a
rar from being assured. Indeed the scheme
looks highly impracticable. Especially directed
| experiments with animals In confinement might
possibly assist in solving certain problems In
heredlty, but they would not reveal how nature
WORKS unless natural conditions diet. climate
anu hap'tat-were reproduced. fairly COM
plete reproduction Of these might be feasible N
De sure though the undertaking would prob-
ably prove expensive; but NJ. Lolsel evidently
does not contemplate extra expenditure for anv
purpose 1t cannot do any harm for the an.
thorft1es to adopt his recommendation bu+ 3.
| promises 10 do little good ~