DARWIN AND NATURAL SELECTION 51 



thus get crossed, while those whose glands were not 

 located as favourably might remain unfertilised. 

 The advantageous location of the glands is trans- 

 mitted to the next generation; from this generation 

 of plants, those whose glands are the most developed 

 and excrete the most nectar would likewise be fa- 

 voured and the process would go on until, at a cer- 

 tain moment, a new species would spring into exist- 

 ence, characterised by nectar-excreting glands within 

 the corolla. 



This does not mean that the individuals not en- 

 dowed with such favourable characteristics are neces- 

 sarily doomed to disappear; for they may possess 

 other advantages, other weapons which in life's strug- 

 gle may compensate for the lack of the former. 



"Take the case of a carnivorous quadruped of 

 which the number that can be supported T5y any coun- 

 try has long ago arrived at its full average. If its 

 natural power of increase be allowed to act, it can 

 succeed in increasing (the country not undergoing 

 any change in conditions) only by its varying de- 

 scendants seizing on places at present occupied by 

 other animals; some of them, for instance, being en- 

 abled to feed on new kinds of prey, eith e r dead or 

 alive; some inhabiting new stations, climbing trees, 

 frequenting water, and some perhaps becoming less 

 carnivorous. The more diversified in habits and 

 structure the descendants of our carnivorous animals 



y 



