illogical way in which it has been attempted to be accounted for in 

 the work on "The Origin of Species" I believe to be a master-piece of 

 reasoning, though nine out of ten of its facts prove nothing whatever 

 by way of conclusion for it. 



I believe the same in the case of the working or sterile ants, 

 though "how the workers have been made sterile is a difficulty ;" that 

 is to say, in itself, but none whatever to my more " fertile" brain, 

 which thinks nothing of any difficulty that stands in its way. 



I believe that the difficulty, though " appearing insuperable," " dis- 

 appears" by my imagining that selection may be exercised by a whole 

 " family" as well as by an " individual." I choose to forget that 

 families are made up of individuals. 



I believe that on my theory no account need be taken of the 

 " prodigious amount of difference . between the fertile and sterile indi- 

 viduals of many insects. " 



I believe that my theory is perfectly correct, although there is a 

 " climax of the difficulty" beyond all these that I have yet stated, some 

 of the neuters differing even from each other to an " almost incredible 

 degree ;" some " with jaws and instincts extraordinarily different ;" 

 others with forms " the use of which is quite unknown." 



I believe that I am right, and all the world else wrong, although 

 it will be thought that I have an " overweening confidence in my own 

 wisdom," which makes me " not admit that such wonderful and well- 

 established facts at once annihilate my theory." 



I believe tha,t I must be right, although I can't " pretend that the 

 facts given in this chapter (VII.) strengthen in any degree my theory," 

 and that all I can say is that they do not " annihilate it ;" ergo I 

 must be right. 



I believe that the sterility of hybrids is no disproof of my theory 

 of natural selection, which is that it acts for the good of the creatures 

 which exercise it, although it could not possibly be of any advantage 

 to the several animals, and although I think that the importance of 

 the fact has been " much underrated by some writers." 



I believe that my theory of hybridism is right, although it does 

 npt "go to the root of the matter" and "no explanation is offered" of 

 the main fact. " Ibrida quo pacto ,W" is quite beyond me. 



I believe that "no part of the structure of any one species has 

 been formed for the exclusive good of another species, though " natural 

 selection" can and does often produce structures for the direct injury 

 of other species, and though I see that the aphis voluntarily uses its 

 structure for the sole good of the ants, and I can only " probably" 

 imagine that it is of any convenience to the aphides themselves. 



I believe that tumbler-pigeons have been produced by the long 

 continued selection of such in many generations, though I can't at all 

 tell how they first came to have the habit, or why it should have been 

 fortunately noticed by some fancier, or how he came to think that it 

 might be propagated and preserved, and succeeded in doing so. 



I believe that I strengthen my argument by saying that dogs only 

 rarely require, when young, to be taught not to attack sheep, etc., 

 though I see that it is the very commonest thing that some dogs can 

 never be broken of the habit, and that there is not a dog in existence 

 but might be encouraged to it. 



I believe generally that *' natural instincts are lost under domesti- 

 cation," although I have the preceding fact and numberless others 

 staring me in the face to show me the exact contrary, and that they are 

 at the most but dormant, and ready to bo restored to their former fulness. 



I believe that young chickens have lost by habit the fear of dogs 



