CHAP, vii EVOLUTION IN DARWIN 65 



Malthusianism regarding the human race. No doubt, 

 human reproduction becomes less rapid as population 

 thickens. The alleged self-correcting tendency of the 

 growth of population is a true cause, so far as it goes ; 

 or rather it is a group of causes, urgently requiring to 

 be disentangled, to be studied, named, estimated one by 

 one ; but, in their whole result, they are altogether in- 

 sufficient to check over-population. And in like manner 

 Spencer's cause is a true cause. It is undoubtedly true 

 that there is a general correlation of fecundity with a 

 low position on the evolutionary scale ; it is true that, as 

 mental and aesthetic interests count for more, the physi- 

 cal tendencies of sex will count for less in the human 

 race ; yet, as far ahead as we can trace, there will still 

 be problems of population. So one would have said of 

 natural selection too : It is a true cause, but cannot 

 possibly do the work asked of it. Its effects are minute; 

 being minute, they will be immensely slow in achieving 

 anything. A blind and indirect method of selection, by 

 striking out all the unfit by trial and error is the 

 most tedious method possible. If at every cross-roads I 

 have to follow each track in turn, taking them as they 

 come, going on in each case to the next town before I 

 can learn whether I am on the right road, if I am 

 wrong, coming back from the town to my cross-roads 

 and trying the next track till I find a town upon 

 it, and so forth and so forth plainly, it may take 

 me all my days to work my way to my chosen 

 destination. 



Darwin's theory, however, includes other elements 

 besides natural selection ; and these, if reliable, seem to 

 point to agencies which would accelerate the process of 

 evolution. One addition which Darwin proposed to 

 his doctrine was sexual selection. " None but the brave 





