-'i NATURAL SELECTION. [iNTROD. 



]>art of the economy, but rather the nett fitness of the 



whole. 



b'. \'i> 'rid Selection. 



In the view of the phenomena of Variation here outlined, 

 then- is nothing which is in any way opposed to the theory of the 

 on-m .it' Species " l>v means of Natural Selection, or the preserva- 

 ii' MI <if favoured races in the struggle for life." But by a full and 

 unwavering belief in the doctrine as originally expressed, we shall 

 in no way be committed to representations < if that doctrine made 

 li\ those who have come after. A very biief study of the facts will 

 Mith'cu to gainsay such statements as, for example, that of Glaus, 

 that "it is only natural selection which accumulates those altera- 

 tion.*, .*> that they become appreciable to us and constitute a varia- 

 tioii \vhi--h is evident to our senses 1 ." For the crude belief that 

 living In ings are plastic conglomerates of miscellaneous attributes, 

 and that order of form or Symmetry have been impressed upon 

 this medley by Selection alone ; and that by Variation any of these 

 at tributes may be subtracted or any other attribute added in 

 indefinite proportion, is a fancy which the Study of Variation does 

 not support. 



II re t hi- [introduction must end. As a sketch of a part of the 

 phenomena of Variation, it has no value except in so far as it may 

 I. 'ail some to study those phenomena. That the study of Variation 

 i-< tin- pi-op'-r field for the development of biology there can be no 

 doubt. It i- -i-an-ely too much to say that the study of Variation 

 I" ars to the M'lence of Evolution a relation somewhat comparable 

 with thai \\hidi the study of affinities and reactions bears to the 

 science of <-henii-tr\ : tm- \\e mi;_dil almost as well seek for the 

 "ii-in of chemical bodies by the comparative study of crystallo- 



I'liy. a- tor i he origin of living bodies by a comparative study of 

 normal f'.irm-. 



' I,..,, 1: ,,i' /.,<,,lnnii. Si 'il^'wirk and 1 1 t'litlicote's English translation, vol. i. 

 ]' 'I s - In tlir .'ri'.'iiml tlir passage run* : "erst (//. iiiitiirlich,- Zitchtwnlil hiiuft 

 IIIK! i; i^i'irl.i j,-n, Mnr.-i.-liimnfn in ,1,'m .V,;.s-.s-,- dn sit .-/. fiir mi* wakmehmbar 

 ic,r,l:ii mi. I .in.' in .1 . \n ,11 fall, nil.' Vaiiatmii In wirkcn." C. CLAUS, Lfhrb. d. 

 . 1 '1 2, I--.:. |i. l-JT, :in.l <,run,l;':i<i,' ,!,>,- Zooloiiic, 1880, Bd. I. p. 90. The 

 itali.-s arc in the m i^inal. 



