274 UFE AND HABIT. 



" the theory of natural selection." I imagine that I 

 see in them the fallacy which I believe to run through 

 almost all Mr. Darwin's work, namely, that "natural 

 selection" is a theory (if, indeed, it can be a theory 

 at all), in some way accounting for the origin of 

 variation, and so of species — " natural selection," as we 

 have already seen, being unable to " induce variability," 

 and being only able to accumulate what — on the occa- 

 sion of each successive variation, and so during the whole 

 process — must have been originated by something else. 



Again, Air. Darwin writes — " In considering the 

 origin of species it is quite conceivable that a natu- 

 ralist, reflecting on the mutual affinities of organic 

 beings, or their embryological relations, their geogra- 

 phical distribution, geological succession, and other such 

 facts, might come to the conclusion that species had not 

 been independently created, but had descended, like 

 varieties from other species. Nevertheless, such a con- 

 clusion, even if well founded, would be unsatisfactory, 

 until it could be shown how the innumerable species 

 inhabiting this world had been modified, so as to acquire 

 that perfection of structure and co-adaptation which 

 justly excites our admiration " (" Origin of Species," p. 

 2, ed. i8;6). 



After reading the above we feel that nothing more 

 satisfactory could be desired. We are sure that we are 

 in the hands of one who can indeed tell us " how the 

 innumerable species inhabiting this world have been 

 modified," and we are no less sure that though others 

 may have written upon the subject before, there has 

 been, as yet, no satisfactory explanation put forward of 



