288 Heredity. 



greatest number of offspring. The offsjoring would in- 

 herit in a greater or less degree these same qualities; 

 would occasionally intercross with each other, or with 

 other* individuals yarj'ing in some favorable manner; 

 and of their offspring, those which were the best en- 

 dowed in any respect would continue multiplying: and 

 so onwards, always progressing, sometimes in one direc- 

 tion, and sometimes in another, towards the present ex- 

 cellent co-ordinated structure of the male elk. 



" To make this clear, let us reflect on the probable 

 steps, as shown in the twentieth chapter, by which our 

 race and dray horses have arrived at their present state 

 of excellence: if we could view the whole series of inter- 

 mediate forms between one of these animals and an 

 early unimproved progenitor, we shpuld behold a vast 

 number of animals not equally improved in each gener- 

 ation throughout their entire structure, but sometimes 

 a little more in one point, and sometimes in another, 

 yet on the whole gradually approaching in character to 

 our present race or dray horses, Avhicli are so admirably 

 fitted in the one case for fleetness, and in the other for 

 draught. 



" Although natural selection would thus tend to give 

 to the male elk its present structure, yet it is probable 

 that the inherited influence of use has played an equal 

 or more important part. As the horns gradually in- 

 creased in weight, the muscles of the neck, with the 

 bones to which they are attached, would increase in 

 size and strength; and these parts would react on the 

 body and legs. Nor must we overlook the fact that cer- 

 tain parts of the skull and extremities would, judging 

 from analogy, tend from the first to vary in a correlat- 

 ed manner. The increased weight of the horns would 

 also act directly on the skull in the same manner as 



