﻿390 
  Ever-sporting 
  Varieties 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  life-conditions 
  of 
  their 
  parents 
  and 
  

   grandparents. 
  Within 
  the 
  race 
  all 
  variability 
  

   would 
  in 
  this 
  way 
  be 
  reduced 
  to 
  the 
  effects 
  

   of 
  external 
  circumstances. 
  Among 
  these 
  nour- 
  

   ishment 
  is 
  no 
  doubt 
  the 
  most 
  momentous, 
  

   and 
  this 
  to 
  such 
  a 
  degree 
  that 
  older 
  writers 
  

   designated 
  the 
  external 
  conditions 
  by 
  the 
  term 
  

   nourishment. 
  According 
  to 
  Knight 
  nutrition 
  

   reigns 
  supreme 
  in 
  the 
  whole 
  realm 
  of 
  vari- 
  

   ability, 
  the 
  kind 
  of 
  food 
  and 
  the 
  method 
  of 
  nour- 
  

   ishment 
  coming 
  into 
  consideration 
  only 
  in 
  a 
  sec- 
  

   ondary 
  way. 
  The 
  amount 
  of 
  useful 
  nutrition 
  

   is 
  the 
  all-important 
  factor. 
  

  

  If 
  this 
  is 
  so, 
  and 
  if 
  nutrition 
  decides 
  the 
  de- 
  

   gree 
  of 
  deviation 
  of 
  any 
  given 
  character, 
  the 
  

   widest 
  deviating 
  individuals 
  are 
  the 
  best 
  nour- 
  

   ished 
  ones. 
  The 
  best 
  nourished 
  not 
  only 
  dur- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  sensibility 
  of 
  the 
  attribute 
  un- 
  

   der 
  consideration, 
  but 
  also 
  in 
  the 
  broadest 
  sense 
  

   of 
  the 
  word. 
  

  

  This 
  discussion 
  casts 
  a 
  curious 
  light 
  upon 
  the 
  

   whole 
  question 
  of 
  selection. 
  Not 
  of 
  course 
  

   upon 
  the 
  choice 
  of 
  elementary 
  species 
  or 
  varie- 
  

   ties 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  original 
  motley 
  assembly 
  which 
  

   nature 
  and 
  old 
  cultures 
  offer 
  us, 
  but 
  upon 
  the 
  

   selection 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  individuals 
  for 
  isolation 
  and 
  

   for 
  the 
  improvement 
  of 
  the 
  race. 
  These 
  are, 
  

   according 
  to 
  my 
  views, 
  only 
  the 
  best 
  nourished 
  

   ones. 
  Their 
  external 
  conditions 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  

  

  