The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1948-11-11
!" W IL D
: Ii F E /"
By BISHOP BATES

Existence increase. Mingled
with organic beings in state of
nature there is some individual
variability. 1t is very immaterial
to us if multitude of doubtful
forms be called species or sub
species or varieties. What rank,
for example, the two or three
hundred doubtful forms of our
plants are entitled to hold if the
existence of any well marked
varieties be admitted. However,
the mere existence of individual
variability and of some few we'll
marked varieties, the necessary
as the foundation for the work,
does not help us very much to
understand how species arise in
nature. How did, or has, all of
these exquisite adaptations of
one part of the organization to
another part, and to conditions
of life, and of one organic being
to another being, been perfected.
How do groups of species that
constitute what are called dis
tinct genera, that differ from
each other more than do the
species of the same genus arise.
All these results follow from the
struggle for life. Owing to this
struggle, variations may be small
and from whatever cause pro-
ceeding, if they be in any de-
gree profitable to the individual
of a species, in their infinitely
complex relations to other or
ganic beings and to their physi-
cal conditions of life, will tend
to the preservation of such indi
viduals and will generally be in
herited by the offspring. The off
spring also will thus have a bet
ter chance of surviving for of the
many individuals Of any species
which are periodically born,
smaller number can survive. /
will call this principal by which
slight variation is preserved by
the term mature selection, or
natural selection, in order to
mark its relation to mans power
of selection. 1t might be more
equally convenient to say the
survival of the fittest. 1t would
be more accurate. We have all
witnessed, most of us, that man
by selection can produce great
results and can adapt organic
beings to their own uses,by the
accumulation of little but use
full variations, given to man by
the hand of nature. Natural Sc
lection is a power necessarily
ready for action, and it is i'm
measurably superior to mans
feeble efforts as the works of
nature are to those of art.
Philosophically speaking, all
organic beings are exposed to
severe competition. It would be
very easy to admit in words the
truth of the universal struggle
for life, or more difficult, at
least we have found it so, than
to constantly bear this conclu-
sion in mind. I wish to warn you
unless it be thoroughly engrain-
ed in the mind, the whole econ
omy of nature, with every fact
on distribution, rarity, abund-
ance, extinction and variation,
will be dimly seen and quite
likely misunderstood. We must
always hold the bright face of
nature with gladness, still there
may not be superabundance of
food. We fail to see and we for
get that the birds that idly sing
around us mostly live on insects
or seeds and thus constantly des-
troying life; also we forget how
largely these songsters, or their
eggs, their nestlings, are destroy
ed by birds and beast of prey.
We must always bear in mind
that there may be an overabund-
ance of food this year, but it is
not so each and every year.
When there is a shortage of food
for Wildlife at certain seasons
and times, we must assist nature
and supply this food assisting ma
ture to produce wildlife.
There is a complex relation of
all mammals and plants to each
other in their struggle for exist
ence, We will here give a simple
illustration. The bumblebee, for
instance, is almost indispensable
to the fertilization of certain
flowers and clovers. Red clover
has to be visited by the humble
bees as other bees cannot reach
the nectar; no bumblebees-no
| clover seed. This is easy to un-
derstand. The number of humble
bees in any district depends in
great measure on the number
of field mice, which destroy their
nests, comb and young bees. 1t
is believed that more than two
thirds of the bumblebees are
destroyed each year over the U.
is.
1 do not have to call to any
ones attention that there exists
and has for years, a shortage of
bumblebeeS in this country of