•^ EDITORIAL |^« 



The subject of evolution has been so obfuscated by dis- 

 cussions of minor details that many people are in danger of 

 regarding the whole matter as too deep for them. As a mat- 

 ter of fact, the principles of evolution are easily compre- 

 hended; it in only the working out of these principles that 

 gives rise to doubts and differences of opinion. In a recent 

 number of Science, Prof. C. C. Nutting points out that there 

 are really only three main factors in evolution and that all 

 three are capable of proof and are admitted by practically 

 everybody. These three are ( 1 ) heredity, by which children 

 tend to resemble their parents or at least the family line, (2) 

 ludiriilual rariatioii, which i)rcvents any organism from 

 being exactly like another, and (3) geometrical ratio of in- 

 crease, by which each species tends to produce more individ- 

 uals tlian can survive. Given these three and some kind of 

 evolution is bound to occur. .Vs to how it occurs scientists 

 are not (juite agreed. Darwin held that new species were 

 in the main produced by the accumulation of small variations 

 through considerable lapses of time, being helped thereto by 

 the crowd of species, forms and individuals which made it ' 

 possible for only the best fitted to survive. The Mutation 

 Theory of DeVries distinguishes two forms of variation and 

 intimates that only one of these results in new species. The 

 first or continuous variation might be illustrated by mere size 

 in individuals which tends to vary forever with the food sup- 

 ply and other conditions. The second or dis-contimious vari- 

 ation results in the "sports" which appear suddenly and do 



