1890 PHYSIOLOGICAL SELECTION 179 



creation of a new species by conscious selection of a 

 physiological kind. 



But, as far as I can gather from the enclosed, the 

 idea seems to be that of experimenting on the con- 

 ditions leading to sterility ; not that of regarding 

 sterility, however conditional, as itself the condition 

 of specific divergence. In other words, the passage 

 seems to go upon the supposition that sterility is the 

 result and not the cause of specific divergence. But 

 if so, I do not see that it affects the question whether 

 he ever contemplated the latter possibility. 



I have just received Seebohm's British Association 

 paper, which, except when it repeats Wallace's objec- 

 tion about the doctrine of chances, elsewhere curiously 

 contradicts all the points in his criticism. 



The editor of the ' Fortnightly ' tells me that a 

 further delay has arisen in bringing out my reply, on 

 account of Wallace desiring to answer it. For my 

 own part I think that all this fire of criticism at the 

 present juncture is a mistake. As yet the theory is 

 only a ' suggestion,' and, until tested, there can be no 

 adequate data for forming a definite opinion. 



Therefore I regret the published opposition those 

 who are in favour do not publish only because it may 

 tend to choke off co-operation in carrying out the ex- 

 periments ; and it was for the sake of securing assist- 

 ance in so laborious a research that I published the 

 suggestion in outline. 



I wonder who Catchpole is ? His answer in 

 * Nature ' to Wallace won't do. 



Yours very truly, 



GEO. J. ROMANES. 



