On Mr Wallaces Theory of Birds' Nests 285 



of life than others, and that other hens have been killed as a 

 penalty for their brightness. 



I need not comment on the gratuitous and highly imaginative 

 character of these assumptions. But there is one peculiarity at- 

 taching to them which is well worthy of attention. The whole 

 theory is intended to substitute what Mr Wallace would call a self- 

 acting system of causes for the purpose of a contriving Mind. And 

 yet it is very curious to observe, that the only plausibility which the 

 theory possesses is in the appeal which it involves to the idea of 

 experience, and the effects of experience upon Mind — that mind 

 being supposed to exist in some such abstraction as " nature," or 

 "correlations," or in some other form of words which serves to 

 cover up and conceal the essentially mental attributes which are 

 nevertheless invoked. For example, there is clearly no causal or 

 physical connexion between the destruction of one bird and the 

 cessation of a tendency to bright colouring in another bird which 

 is not yet born or begotten. If that tendency be a blind force 

 it must act blindly constantly, and irrespective of all consequences. 

 If it ceases to operate because of the bad effects which it produces, 

 it must be conceived of as a sort of living thing. The stopping of 

 its v/orks, and the need of that cessation, can no otherwise be 

 brought together. The only idea which can lead any mind to 

 place these two facts in such a connexion is an idea founded 

 on its own consciousness of experience and observation, and 

 of the course which itself would take to avoid and prevent evil 

 consequences. It then ascribes (unconsciously) a similar self-con- 

 sciousness to nature or to the correlated forces of nature, and under 

 this assumption the connexion between the facts is represented as 

 intelligible. And no doubt if the tendency to bright colouring is 

 conceived of as a power or force gifted with the attributes of Mind, 

 and able first to see and then to foresee the result of its own 

 works, then the cause of the cessation of that working does become 

 intelligible enough. But if it be a blind material force always 

 present and always operating, then it is utterly unintelligible how 

 it should cease to operate because of the mischief it does. 



It will be observed, too, that as this theory always represents the 

 actual colouring which we now see in any species as the result of 

 a long process of " selection," it must assume that the species has 

 started from a condition of colouring different from that which we 

 now see. Thus, the cock Pheasant has "attained" to the brilliant 

 plumage he now wears by the admiration and selection of succes- 



