256 THE GENESIS OF SPECIES. [CHAP. 



strosities, and abortive and feeble attempts at the perform- 

 ance of the evolutionary process. 



That " Natural Selection " removes the antecedent spe- 

 cies rapidly when the new one evolved is more in harmony 

 with surrounding conditions. 



That " Natural Selection " favors and develops useful 

 variations, though it is impotent to originate them or to 

 erect the physiological barrier which seems to exist between 

 species. 



By some such conception as this, the difficulties here 

 enumerated, which beset the theory of " Natural Selection " 

 pure and simple, are to be got over. 



Thus, for example, the difficulties discussed in the first 

 chapter namely, those as to the origins and first begin- 

 nings of certain structures are completely evaded. 



Again, as to the independent origin of closely-similar 

 structures, such as the eyes of the Vertebrata and cuttle- 

 fishes, the difficulty is removed if we may adopt the concep- 

 tion of an innate force similarly directed in each case, and 

 assisted by favorable external conditions. 



Specific stability, limitation to variability, and the facts 

 of reversion, all harmonize with the view here put forward. 

 The same may be said with regard to the significant facts 

 of homology, and of organic symmetry ; and our consider- 

 ation of the hypothesis of Pangenesis in Chapter X., has 

 seemed to result in a view as to innate powers which accords 

 well with what is here advocated. 



The evolutionary hypothesis here advocated also serves 

 to explain all those remarkable facts which were stated in 

 the first chapter to be explicable by the theory of Natural 

 Selection, namely, the relation of existing to recent faunas 

 and floras ; the phenomena of homology and of rudimentary 

 structures; also the processes gone through in develop- 

 ment ; and lastly, the wonderful facts of mimicry. 



Finally, the view adopted is the synthesis of many dis- 



