4 WHA T IS DAR WINl SM ? 



itant of the Old World." (vol. ii. p. 372) Mr. 

 Darwin adds : •' He who denounces these views 

 (as irreligious) is bound to explain why it is 

 more irreligious to explain the origin of man 

 as a distinct species by descent from some 

 lower form, through the laws of variation and 

 natural selection, than to explain the birth of 

 the individual through the laws of ordinary 

 reproduction." (vol. ii. p. 378) 



The Sense in which Mr. Darwin uses the Word 

 ''Natural:' 



We have not yet reached the heart of Mr. 

 Darwin's theory. The main idea of his sys- 

 tem lies in the word " natural." He uses that 

 word in two senses : first, as antithetical to the 

 word artificial. Men can produce very marked 

 varieties as to structure and habits of animals. 

 This is exemplified in. the production of the dif- 

 ferent breeds of horses, cattle, sheep, and dogs; 

 and specially, as Mr. Darwin seems to think, 

 in the case of pigeons. Of these, he says, " The 

 diversity of breeds is something astonishing." 

 Some hiive long, and some very short bills ; 

 some have large feet, some small ; some long 

 necks, others long wings and tails, while others 

 have singularly short tails ; some have thirty, 



