Weheh den, tn 
es 
74 THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES Ir 
method, then ; but it is another question whether 
he has fulfilled all the conditions imposed by that 
method. [Ts it satisfactorily proved, in fact, that 
"specie: species may be originated by selection ? that there 
is such a thing as natural selection ? that none 
_of the phenomena exhibited by species are Inco 
| sistent with the origin of species in this way ? ’ 
these questions can be answered in the affirmative, 
| Mr. Darwin’s view steps out of the rank of hypo- 
| theses into those of proved theories; but, so long 
‘as the evidence at present adduced ‘falls short of 
enforcing that affirmation, so long, to our minds, 
must the new doctrine be content to remain among 
he former+-an extremely valuable, and in the 
highest degreé-probable, doctrine, indeed the only 
extant hypothesis which is worth anything in a 
scientific paint of view ; bus still a hypothesis, and 
not yet the theory of species.) r 
After much consideration, and with assuredly 
no bias against Mr. Darwin’s views, it is our clear 
conviction that, as_the evidence stands, it_is_not 
absolutely proven that a group of animals, having 
all the characters exhibited by species “in Nature 
has ever been originated by selection, whether 
artificial or natural. Groups having the morpho- 
logical character of species—distinctand permanent: 
races in fact—have been so gee: over and ove 
again "but there is no positive evidence, at present. 
that any group of animals has;-by\ variation anc 
a ee 
selective breeding, pin rise to anOUneE 4 group: 
