ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL SELECTION. 1 67 



and natural selection, and clearly explaining the agreement 

 and the differences of the two. 



Both natural and artificial selection are quite simple 

 natural, mechanical relations of life, which depend upon the 

 interaction of two physiological functions, namely, on ^c^o^p- 

 tation and Inheritance, functions which, as such, must again 

 be traced to physical and chemical properties of organic 

 matter. The difference between the two forms of selection 

 consists in this : in artificial selection the will of man makes 

 the selection according to a ^^a'^, whereas in natural selection, 

 the struggle for life (that imiversal inter-relation of organ- 

 isms) acts tvithout a plan, but otherwise produces quite the 

 same result, namely, a selection of a particular kind of indi- 

 viduals for propagation. The alterations produced by artifi- 

 cial selection are turned to the advantage of those who make 

 the selection ; in natural selection, on the other hand, to the 

 advantage of the selected organism. 



These are the most essential differences and agreements of 

 the two modes of selection ; it must, however, be further 

 observed that there is another difference, viz. in the duration of 

 time required for the two processes of selection. Man in his 

 artificial selection can produce very important changes in a 

 very short time, while in natural selection similar results are 

 obtained only after a much longer time. This arises from 

 the fact that man can make his selection with much greater 

 care. Man is able with the greatest nicety to pick out indi- 

 viduals from a large number, drop the others, and to employ 

 only the privileged beings for propagation, which is not the 

 case in natm^al selection. In natural conditions, besides the 

 privileged individuals which first succeed in propagating 

 themselves, some few or many of the less distinguished indi- 



