CHAP. IX.] NATUHAL SELECTION. 283 



dues so through circumstances which favour him by enabling 

 him to escape the destructive agencies of nature. Thus 

 happy variations cause survival and transmission, and thus 

 new species result from survival of which are the fittest to 

 live, as shown by the event. The title of his well-known 

 book is : On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural 

 Selection. This is equally the title of the last edition as 

 of the first, and the words &quot;fo/ means of&quot; appear in each 

 case. At the end of the Introduction of the first edition he 

 says : &quot; 1 am convinced that natural selection has been the 

 main, but not the exclusive means of modification.&quot; In the 

 last edition he says : &quot; I am convinced that natural selection has 

 been the most important, but not the exclusive means of modi 

 fication.&quot; Before the appearance of the last edition, however, 

 Mr. Darwin published his Descent of Man ; and a consideration 

 of tiiis last work in conjunction with his Origin of Species 

 will afford the best means of considering his whole position. 

 It can by such a proceeding be seen what, if any, modifica 

 tions have taken place in his views, and the value of his 

 judgment may, it is obvious, be most fairly estimated by 

 examining his own declarations with respect to his earlier 

 beliefs and assertions. 



Our attention, then, may first be directed to his earlier 

 statements, in order that we may see whether he has modified 

 his views, and, if so, how far and with what results. If he 

 has, even by his own showing and admission, been over-hasty 

 and seriously mistaken previously, we must be the more 

 careful how we commit ourselves to his guidance now. It 

 is here contended that Mr. Darwin s convictions have under 

 gone grave modifications, and that the opinions adopted by 

 him now are quite distinct from, and even subversive of, the 

 views he originally put forth. The assignment of the law 

 of &quot; natural selection &quot; to a subordinate position is virtually 

 an abandonment of the Darwinian theory ; for the one dis 

 tinguishing feature of that theory was the &quot;most important&quot; 

 or &quot;main&quot; position assigned to &quot;natural selection.&quot; Not 

 the less, however, may we thank Mr. Darwin for bringing 



