第3章

Thusitwouldappeartobedemonstrable，that，notwithstandingthegreatchangewhichisexhibitedbytheanimalpopulationoftheworldasawhole，certaintypeshavepersistedcomparativelywithoutalteration，andthequestionarises，Whatbearinghavesuchfactsastheseonournotionsofthehistoryoflifethroughgeologicaltime？Theanswertothisquestionwouldseemtodependontheviewwetakerespectingtheoriginofspeciesingeneral。Ifweassumethateveryspeciesofanimalandofplantwasformedbyadistinctactofcreativepower，andifthespecieswhichhaveincessantlysucceededoneanotherwereplacedupontheglobebytheseseparateacts，thentheexistenceofpersistenttypesissimplyanunintelligibleirregularity。Suchassumption，however，isasunsupportedbytraditionorbyRevelationasitisopposedbytheanalogyoftherestoftheoperationsofnature；andthosewhoimaginethat，byadoptinganysuchhypothesis，theyarestrengtheningthehandsoftheadvocatesoftheletteroftheMosaicaccount，aresimplymistaken。If，ontheotherhand，weadoptthathypothesistowhichalonethestudyofphysiologylendsanysupport——thathypothesiswhich，havingstruggledbeyondthereachofthosefatalsupporters，theTelliamedsandVestigiarians，whosonearlycauseditssuffocationbywindinearlyinfancy，isnowwinningatleasttheprovisionalassentofallthebestthinkersoftheday——thehypothesisthattheformsorspeciesoflivingbeings，asweknowthem，havebeenproducedbythegradualmodificationofpre-existingspecies——thentheexistenceofpersistenttypesseemstoteachusmuch。Justasasmallportionofagreatcurveappearsstraight，theapparentabsenceofchangeindirectionofthelinebeingtheexponentofthevastextentofthewhole，inproportiontothepartwesee；so，ifitbetruethatalllivingspeciesaretheresultofthemodificationofotherandsimplerforms，theexistenceoftheselittlealteredpersistenttypes，rangingthroughallgeologicaltime，mustindicatethattheyarebutthefinaltermsofanenormousseriesofmodifications，whichhadtheirbeinginthegreatlapseofpregeologictime，andarenowperhapsforeverlost。

Inotherwords，whenrightlystudied，theteachingsofpalaeontologyareatonewiththoseofphysicalgeology。OurfarthestexplorationscarryusbackbutalittlewayabovethemouthofthegreatriverofLife:

whereitarose，andbywhatchannelsthenobletidehasreachedthepointwhenitfirstbreaksuponourview，ishiddenfromus。

TheforegoingpagescontainthesubstanceofalecturedeliveredbeforetheRoyalInstitutionofGreatBritainmanymonthsago，andofcourselongbeforetheappearanceoftheremarkableworkonthe"OriginofSpecies"justpublishedbyMr。Darwin，whoarrivesatverysimilarconclusions。Although，inonesense，Imightfairlysaythatmyownviewshavebeenarrivedatindependently，IdonotknowthatIcanclaimanyequitablerighttopropertyinthem；forithaslongbeenmyprivilegetoenjoyMr。Darwin"sfriendship，andtoprofitbycorrespondingwithhim，andby，tosomeextent，becomingacquaintedwiththeworkingsofhissingularlyoriginalandwell-storedmind。ItwasinconsequenceofmyknowledgeofthegeneraltenoroftheresearchesinwhichMr。Darwinhadbeensolongengaged；becauseIhadthemostcompleteconfidenceinhisperseverance，hisknowledge，and，aboveallthings，hishigh-mindedloveoftruth；and，moreover，becauseIfoundthatthebetterIbecameacquaintedwiththeopinionsofthebestnaturalistsregardingthevexedquestionofspecies，thelessfixedtheyseemedtobe，andthemoreinclinedtheyweretothehypothesisofgradualmodification，thatIventuredtospeakasstronglyasIhavedoneinthefinalparagraphsofmydiscourse。

Thus，mydawhavingsomanyborrowedplumes，IseenoimproprietyinmakingatailtothisbriefpaperbytakinganotherhandfuloffeathersfromMr。Darwin；endeavouringtopointoutinafewwords，infact，what，asIgatherfromtheperusalofhisbook，hisdoctrinesreallyare，andonwhatsortofbasistheyrest。AndIdothisthemorewillingly，asIobservethatalreadythehastiersortofcriticshavebegun，nottoreviewmyfriend"sbook，buttohowloveritinamannerwhichmusttendgreatlytodistractthepublicmind。

NoonewillbebettersatisfiedthanItoseeMr。Darwin"sbookrefuted，ifanypersonbecompetenttoperformthatfeat；butIwouldsuggestthatrefutationisretarded，notaided，bymeresarcasticmisrepresentation。Everyonewhohasstudiedcattle-breeding，orturnedpigeon-fancier，or"pomologist，"musthavebeenstruckbytheextrememodifiabilityorplasticityofthosekindsofanimalsandplantswhichhavebeensubjectedtosuchartificialconditionsasareimposedbydomestication。Breedsofdogsaremoredifferentfromoneanotherthanarethedogandthewolf；andthepurelyartificialracesofpigeons，iftheiroriginwereunknown，wouldmostassuredlybereckonedbynaturalistsasdistinctspeciesandevengenera。

Thesebreedsarealwaysproducedinthesameway。Thebreederselectsapair，oneorother，orboth，ofwhichpresentanindicationofthepeculiarityhewishestoperpetuate，andthenselectsfromtheoffspringofthemthosewhicharemostcharacteristic，rejectingtheothers。Fromtheselectedoffspringhebreedsagain，and，takingthesameprecautionsasbefore，repeatstheprocessuntilhehasobtainedtheprecisedegreeofdivergencefromtheprimitivetypeatwhichheaimed。

Ifhenowbreedsfromthevarietythusestablishedforsomegenerations，takingcarealwaystokeepthestockpure，thetendencytoproducethisparticularvarietybecomesmoreandmorestronglyhereditary；anditdoesnotappearthatthereisanylimittothepersistencyoftheracethusdeveloped。

MenlikeLamarck，apprehendingthesefacts，andknowingthatvarietiescomparabletothoseproducedbythebreederareabundantlyfoundinnature，andfindingitimpossibletodiscriminateinsomecasesbetweenvarietiesandtruespecies，couldhardlyfailtodivinethepossibilitythatspecieseventhemostdistinctwere，afterall，onlyexceedinglypersistentvarieties，andthattheyhadarisenbythemodificationofsomecommonstock，justasitiswithgoodreasonbelievedthatturnspitsandgreyhounds，carrierandtumblerpigeons，havearisen。

Buttherewasalinkwantingtocompletetheparallel。Whereinnaturewastheanalogueofthebreedertobefound？Howcouldthatoperationofselection，whichishisessentialfunction，becarriedoutbymerenaturalagencies？Lamarckdidnotvaluethisproblem；neitherdidheadmithisimpotencetosolveit；butheguessedasolution。Now，guessinginscienceisaveryhazardousproceeding，andLamarck"sreputationhassufferedwoefullyfortheabsurditiesintowhichhisbaselesssuppositionsledhim。

Lamarck"sconjectures，equippedwithanewhatandstick，asSirWalterScottwaswonttosayofanoldstoryrenovated，formedthefoundationofthebiologicalspeculationsofthe"Vestiges"，aworkwhichhasdonemoreharmtotheprogressofsoundthoughtonthesemattersthananythatcouldbenamed；and，indeed，ImentionitheresimplyforthepurposeofdenyingthatithasanythingincommonwithwhatessentiallycharacterisesMr。Darwin"swork。

Thepeculiarfeatureofthelatteris，infact，thatitprofessestotelluswhatinnaturetakestheplaceofthebreeder；whatitisthatfavoursthedevelopmentofonevarietyintowhichaspeciesmayrun，andchecksthatofanother；and，finally，showshowthisnaturalselection，asitistermed，maybethephysicalcauseoftheproductionofspeciesbymodification。

ThatwhichtakestheplaceofthebreederandselectorinnatureisDeath。Inamostremarkablechapter，"OntheStruggleforExistence"，Mr。Darwindrawsattentiontothemarvellousdestructionoflifewhichisconstantlygoingoninnature。Foreveryspeciesoflivingthing，asforman，"EineBrescheisteinjederTag。"——Everyspecieshasitsenemies；everyspecieshastocompetewithothersforthenecessariesofexistence；theweakestgoestothewall，anddeathisthepenaltyinflictedonalllaggardsandstragglers。Everyvarietytowhichaspeciesmaygiveriseiseitherworseorbetteradaptedtosurroundingcircumstancesthanitsparent。Ifworse，itcannotmaintainitselfagainstdeath，andspeedilyvanishesagain。Butifbetteradapted，itmust，soonerorlater，"improve"itsprogenitorfromthefaceoftheearth，andtakeitsplace。Ifcircumstanceschange，thevictorwillbesimilarlysupplantedbyitsownprogeny；andthus，bytheoperationofnaturalcauses，unlimitedmodificationmayinthelapseoflongagesoccur。

ForanexplanationofwhatIhaveherecalledvaguely"surroundingcircumstances，"andofwhytheycontinuallychange——forampleproofthatthe"struggleforexistence"isaverygreatreality，andassuredly"tends"toexerttheinfluenceascribedtoit——ImustrefertoMr。Darwin"sbook。IbelieveIhavestatedfairlythepositionuponwhichhiswholetheorymuststandorfall；anditisnotmypurposetoanticipateafullreviewofhiswork。Ifitcanbeprovedthattheprocessofnaturalselection，operatinguponanyspecies，cangiverisetovarietiesofspeciessodifferentfromoneanotherthatnoneofourtestswilldistinguishthemfromtruespecies，Mr。Darwin"shypothesisoftheoriginofspecieswilltakeitsplaceamongtheestablishedtheoriesofscience，beitsconsequenceswhatevertheymay。If，ontheotherhand，Mr。Darwinhaserred，eitherinfactorinreasoning，hisfellow-workerswillsoonfindouttheweakpointsinhisdoctrines，andtheirextinctionbysomenearerapproximationtothetruthwillexemplifyhisownprincipleofnaturalselection。

Ineithercasethequestionisonetobesettledonlybythepainstaking，truth-lovinginvestigationofskillednaturalists。Itisthedutyofthegeneralpublictoawaittheresultinpatience；and，aboveallthings，todiscourage，astheywouldanyothercrimes，theattempttoenlisttheprejudicesoftheignorant，ortheuncharitablenessofthebigoted，oneithersideofthecontroversy。