J74 THE GENESIS OF SPECIES. 



no light whatever, but the explanations of which, if 

 they could be attained, might throw light upon specific 

 origination. 



' If these objections are not new, they are at least 

 sustained by new arguments. They are evidently of 

 very unequal value. The third is very difficult of 

 proof or disproof. The fifth may be true in our pre- 

 sent state of knowledge, but would be very unsafe by 

 itself as the basis of an argument. The first, second, 

 and eighth are of greatest value, and are those which 

 Mr. Mivart has most closely worked out 1 .' 



The review containing the above passage did not 

 appear till the present volume was on the very eve 

 of publication. Even a hasty glance at Mr. Mivart 's 

 book is sufficient to show that Mr. Bennett has 

 not over-estimated its importance and value. It is 

 scarcely possible here to do more than make a 

 few reflections upon its general scope, in reply to the 

 challenge offered to Darwinians. The first objection, 

 as it stands in the summary, wears the appearance 

 of a misconception. It is almost certain to produce 

 one. When Mr. Darwin attributes the origin of 

 species to Natural Selection, he includes expressly, 

 and where not expressly, by obvious implication, the 

 principle of Variability. He never maintains that 

 the first or any subsequent stage of a useful structure 

 can be produced by Natural Selection. Natural Selec- 

 tion only operates to preserve. Without Variation it 

 would have no sphere in which to operate, so that 

 1 ' Nature,' No. 65. 



