612 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



I have not yet finished reading Darwin's " Origin of 

 Species " (October, 1893) ; but what I have read has filled me 

 with pain that so able a writer should have allowed himself 

 to be so led astray. The apologies Darwin constantly makes 

 for the inapplicability of his own arguments are very painful 

 reading. Truth is always simple. Almost on every third 

 page of his work Darwin admits that his theory fails. I 

 grant that there is a certain amount of truth and reason in 

 the theory, but it is mere side-play when we have to consider 

 the real cause of the origin and divergence of species. Darwin's 

 theory, to my mind, is like comparing the light of a candle 

 with the sun. He only shows the procedure from cause 

 to effect, his theory of natural selection not being the origin 

 of species at all, but the play of progressive adaptation in the 

 original plan. 



I will instance, as well as I am able, the cases of divergence 

 in fowls, sheep, cattle, horses, and plaiits, asking to be excused 

 for many shortcomings. The first fowl we know of is the 

 jungle-fowl of India and Sumatra, with the hackle feathers of 

 the neck terminating in scales, partly showing its fish ancestry. 

 From this fowl come the Malay, the Brahmapootra, the 

 Chinese, the Leghorn (as Europe came to be more fully ac- 

 quainted with Asia), the Spanish, then the French, and then 

 the English breeds, all springing from and diverging fi'om the 

 one original stock, and all surging westward as civilisation ad- 

 vanced. Then, as America was opened up and settled, we 

 got the Plymouth Rock and other North American varieties ; 

 and I suppose by-and-by we shall have South American and 

 Australian varieties. 



How comes it that we have the power to produce these 

 varieties, either by selection or breeding ? For it is quite 

 possible to take a pair of fowls of two distinct and ^wxq 

 breeds, and produce a third variety, which can very quickly 

 be made pure also. 



In explaining this I shall exj^lain the rule of law under- 

 lying the great principle of natural selection — viz., this power 

 of divergence. The following appears to me to be the law : 

 That no two things are exactly alike in nature — no two 

 animals, birds, fishes, plants, blades of grass, flies, insects, 

 bacilli. Each and all follow .the types of their species ; but 

 no two are exactly alike in their construction — let us say, 

 cellular or nervous construction. For if they w^ere, then the 

 danger would be that like would produce like, and some one 

 disease specially severe upon that particular construction 

 would sweep the whole order away. Thus if it were possible 

 for two of the Chinese race to be exactly alike, and these two 

 by their physique superior to the rest of the nation, and 

 more suitable to the terrestrial conditions of things in China, 



