WHA T IS E VOL UTION f 37 



idea of use and adaptation to change implied in the 

 theory of natural selection. 



Romanes even goes so far as to stigmatise the 

 adherence to natural selection pure and simple as 

 { Wallaceism, in contradistinction to Darwinism, while 

 he admits that Wallace has a good right to adhere to 

 this view, as having in some sense antedated Darwin 

 in asserting the dominant influence of natural selec 

 tion. It is fair to say, with regard to Romanes, that 

 while advocating the importance of Physiological 

 Selection/ he claims that Darwin admitted, or would 

 have admitted, this factor, since he believed that in 

 the absence of infertility to prevent intercrossing, 

 natural selection would fail to produce new species. 

 It is worthy of remark here that both Romanes and 

 Wallace seem to be aware that this admission might 

 be fatal to the doctrine of natural selection, unless 

 they can show some other cause capable of producing 

 infertility. 



In the meantime, Weismann in Germany has, in 

 the name of what has been called pure Darwinism, 

 introduced into the discussion facts and considerations 

 as destructive to the usual doctrine as Puritanism 

 would be to High Churchism. He contends that al 

 evidence is against the perpetuation by heredity o 

 characters acquired by the individual. Only characters, 

 born with him can be perpetuated. For example, a| 

 man born with six fingers on his hand may have six-* 

 fingered children, but a man who acquires in his Iife4 



I! 



