ORIGIN OF SPECIES 245 



earliest, the lowest, forms of life that appeared on the 

 planet. 



It would appear that geology fully grants the facts 

 that are necessary to the new theory. 



The concept that has been given of the origin of 

 species, of the fixity of species and limit of variability, 

 is that of my theory interpreting the natural process 

 unmodified by artificial methods. It is a peculiar fact, 

 however, and one that must be carefully noted, that 

 the life-process as conceived by the theory is such 

 that it must be assumed not only that definite, fixed, 

 species necessarily arose in geologic time, but also that 

 artificial methods and cross-breeding easily should 

 succeed with various life-forms in achieving the ex- 

 perimental transmutation of species. For, remember- 

 ing the definition of "species," it is plain that the 

 problem of transmuting a species into something else 

 consists merely in disturbing or breaking up a specific 

 state of equilibrium. In experimentation, various 

 sets of conditions (physicochemical and other con- 

 ditions) are carefully arranged and regulated in the 

 deliberate effort to bring about a desired result. In 

 this way conditions can be secured which, according 

 to the theory of chance, might never have occurred 

 in the natural state. Thus, for example, various 

 luscious hybrid fruits now commonly enjoyed, prob- 

 ably never would have been produced unaided by 



