356 EVOLUTION, OLD AND NEW. 



"natural selection," or the fact that the fittest survive 

 in the struggle for existence, as though it were the 

 same thing as "evolution" or the descent, through the 

 accumulation of small modifications in many successive 

 generations, of one species from another and different 

 one. In the concluding and recapitulatory chapter of 

 the ' Origin of Species,' he writes : 



" Turning to geographical distribution, the difficulties 

 encountered on the theory of descent with modification 

 are serious enough ; " * and in the next paragraph, " As, 

 according to the theory of natural selection, &c." the 

 context showing that in each case descent with modi- 

 fication is intended. 



Again : 



" On the theory of the natural selection of successive, 

 slight, but profitable, modifications," f that is to say, on 

 the theory of the survival of the fittest ; while on the 

 next page we find " the theory of descent ivith modifi- 

 cation" and " the principle of natural selection" used 

 as though they were convertible terms. 



Again : 



"The existence of closely allied or representative 

 species in any two areas implies, on the theory of 

 descent with modification, &c. ;" J and, in the next para- 

 graph, "the theory of natural selection, with its contin- 

 gencies of extinction and divergence of character," is 

 substituted as though the two expressions were iden- 

 tical. 



This is calculated to mislead. Independently of the 

 fact that " natural selection," or " the survival of the 



* ^Origin of Species,' p. 406. f Ibid, p 416. J Ibid. p. 419. 



