256 THE STATUS OF MAN. 



this way. If we start with a mixture of two or more species and 

 subject it to selection, it is possible to conceive, how through 

 selection, eventually only one species will survive. But in some 

 cases the inter-relation between the species may interfere, selec- 

 tion in such a mixture is not such a simple matter as in one 

 species, one breed of animals. 



When two species occur intermingled, there are forces at 

 work which differentiated these two species, or at least which 

 make them continue to be separate species, and these forces 

 will certainly interfere with the result of a selection to which 

 the mixture is subjected. 



If we are dealing with a mixture of two species, which differ 

 in average size, selection for greater size will result in a greater 

 proportional increase of the larger species over the smaller 

 one, but this result is quite a different thing from a change in 

 size of either of the component species. Statistically, one thing 

 is like the other, though biologically there is a vast difference. 



In almost all the speculations about selection in human-kind, 

 for so far as they are not concerned exclusively with the inheri- 

 tance of details, it is casually assumed that mankind, or at least 

 that any considerable section of humanity considered as one 

 whole, is one species. No special pains are taken to prove this 

 point, its importance must be rated very low. 



If we examine mankind as a whole from the standpoint of 

 the systematic Zoologist, what should be the rank accorded to 

 the group, in other words, to what group ol organisms should 

 this group be considered equivalent? An objective standpoint 

 is difficult to attain. Just because we are men, we are very apt 

 to divide animate nature into plants, animals and man, for 

 everyday purposes. This, of course, from a zoologic view, is 

 pure conceit; Rolf, the famous speaking dog of Mannheim, 

 divides animate nature into plants, animals and dogs in just 

 this same spirit. 



In his first edition, Linnaeus places man in his system by 

 the side of the Orang-outan, as two species of equal rank. 



These are the questions with which the Systematicians should 



, 



