﻿THE 
  ISSUES 
  OF 
  LIFE 
  307 
  

  

  the 
  family 
  (the 
  parent 
  bird 
  wearing 
  itself 
  to 
  a 
  skeleton) 
  , 
  

   with 
  the 
  self-forgetfulness 
  shown 
  in 
  guarding, 
  cleaning, 
  and 
  

   educating 
  the 
  young. 
  But 
  have 
  we 
  sufficiently 
  weighed 
  the 
  

   general 
  fact 
  that 
  although 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  birds' 
  meat 
  and 
  drink 
  

   to 
  do 
  all 
  this, 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  self-preservation 
  at 
  any 
  rate 
  that 
  

   results 
  ? 
  Many 
  adult 
  insects 
  spend 
  by 
  far 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  

   of 
  their 
  time 
  and 
  energy 
  in 
  securing 
  the 
  safety 
  of 
  their 
  eggs 
  

   and 
  the 
  nourishment 
  of 
  the 
  young. 
  It 
  is 
  hardly 
  an 
  exag- 
  

   geration 
  to 
  say 
  with 
  Cresson 
  : 
  " 
  Everything 
  for 
  the 
  species 
  ; 
  

   everything 
  by 
  the 
  individual 
  ; 
  nothing 
  for 
  the 
  individual." 
  

  

  What 
  difficulties 
  often 
  lie 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  the 
  fertilisation 
  

   of 
  the 
  egg-cell 
  ! 
  How 
  many 
  tens 
  of 
  thousands 
  of 
  years, 
  how 
  

   many 
  variations, 
  how 
  much 
  vital 
  energy, 
  how 
  much 
  searching 
  

   elimination 
  have 
  gone 
  to 
  the 
  establishment 
  of 
  the 
  adapta- 
  

   tions 
  which 
  secure 
  this 
  end, 
  the 
  fragrance, 
  the 
  flags 
  of 
  

   colour, 
  and 
  the 
  strategically 
  placed 
  nectaries 
  in 
  flowering 
  

   plants, 
  the 
  imperious 
  desires, 
  the 
  intricate 
  attractions, 
  and 
  

   the 
  subtle 
  psychical 
  embroidery 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  animals. 
  

   There 
  are 
  parallel 
  adaptations 
  of 
  structure 
  and 
  habit, 
  which 
  

   secure 
  the 
  welfare 
  of 
  the 
  young. 
  

  

  The 
  fact 
  which 
  must 
  be 
  included 
  in 
  our 
  conception 
  of 
  

   organic 
  life 
  is 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  energy 
  that 
  is 
  expended 
  towards 
  

   the 
  maintenance 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  rather 
  than 
  towards 
  self-pres- 
  

   ervation 
  and 
  self-gratification. 
  Animals 
  have 
  become 
  or- 
  

   ganically 
  interested 
  in 
  working 
  for 
  the 
  species, 
  and 
  even 
  

   though 
  they 
  know 
  it 
  not, 
  their 
  individuality 
  completes 
  itself 
  

   in 
  the 
  larger 
  life 
  of 
  their 
  race. 
  What 
  it 
  seems 
  to 
  mean, 
  

   according 
  to 
  current 
  evolution-theory, 
  is 
  that 
  variations 
  (prob- 
  

   ably 
  altogether 
  germinal 
  to 
  begin 
  with) 
  in 
  directions 
  which 
  

   made 
  for 
  the 
  welfare 
  of 
  offspring, 
  family, 
  society, 
  or 
  species, 
  

   have 
  been 
  established 
  in 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  selection 
  no 
  less 
  

   securely 
  than 
  those 
  which 
  made 
  for 
  self-preservation. 
  Meta- 
  

  

  