44 THE NATURE OF LIFE 



outlook upon the problems of life. The 

 practical difference between these two 

 schools of thought is perhaps not so great 

 as might at first appear. It is true that 

 the nature of organization and the fit- 

 ness of the organism for its various tasks 

 seem at first sight to present an over- 

 whelming problem. But this is due in 

 large part to the notion that all organ- 

 isms possess a mysterious power which 

 fits them for successful existence. But as 

 a matter of fact a goodly proportion of 

 the organisms which have appeared upon 

 the earth have had so little of this fitness 

 that they have perished. Such unfit 

 organisms continually make their ap- 

 pearance but we see little or nothing of 

 them. Among the seeds that we sow are 

 many unfit but they do not grow and we 

 overlook their presence. Given a suflB- 

 cient variety of forms and the power of 

 natural selection to eliminate all but the 

 fit it does not seem astonishing that the 

 small fraction which survives should pre- 

 sent a uniform picture of successful or- 



