164 SUPER-ORGANIC EVOLUTION 



the contrary, the wish to prove the prevalence of 

 this law in sociology would be tantamount to ignor- 

 ing its spirit. 



Natural selection has its initial force in the 

 science of universal energy. 



//. Artificial Selection 



This selection alone has importance in these 

 points, namely, that it may be better understood 

 how man manipulates the plastic nature of live 

 matter, and in what way he changes its form 

 and structure, in obedience to a fixed plan 

 and aim. 



I will cite some cases in which one sees clearly 

 how man modifies the form and substance of 

 animals when and as he wishes, increasing or 

 diminishing the skeleton, muscles, or fat, or rather 

 increasing the length and quality of the wool, and 

 in others the quality of the milk, and still more, 

 modifying even their moral conditions. 



The breed of Mauchamp sheep has an origin 

 that proves to what extent man can avail himself 

 of artificial selection. On an estate of Mr Graux, 

 at Mauchamp, where a flock was being reared, a 

 sickly, misshapen ram was born ; but it had as a 

 set-off a fine, silky, long fleece. The owner under- 

 stood the full importance of this fact, and took the 



