OBJECTIONS AGAINST EVOLUTION. 163 



against the general theory of organic Evolution, as 

 distinguished from Evolution through natural selec- 

 tion. 



In the first place it is to be observed, that transi- 

 tional forms are the first to become extinct in the 

 struggle for existence; for it is well known that 

 competition is more marked and devastating among 

 intermediate or intercalated forms, than among forms 

 which are more widely divergent. Thus, in phi- 

 lology it is remarked, that among a large number of 

 dialects, certain closely allied ones die out, whilst 

 others, more widely differentiated, become the domi- 

 nant forms of speech. The means perish, while the 

 extremes wax strong and end by attaining suprem- 

 acy. Hence, of the countless dialects which in Italy, 

 France and Spain had their origin in the Latin 

 tongue, but three have attained to the dignity of a 

 dominant language, and of being the vehicle of a 

 national literature. These three are what are now 

 known as the Italian, French and Spanish languages, 

 the competing dialects having been worsted in the 

 struggle for existence, and condemned to an earlier or 

 later extinction. 



A process quite analogous to this goes on among 

 the divers forms of animated nature, the means 

 showing themselves the weaker, and the extremes 

 exhibiting themselves the stronger in the contest 

 for supremacy. Commenting on this fact, Darwin 

 writes as follows : "As the species of the same genus 

 usually have, though by no means invariably, much 

 similarity in habits and constitution, and always in 

 structure, the struggle will generally be more severe 



