THE THEORY 7 



alone survive if the law of the survival of 

 the fittest be true then this law must also 

 apply to pairs, families, or other societies of 

 individuals, either temporary or permanent. 



If a pair A is better able to fit the environ- 

 ment of the species than pair B, then pair A 

 will have a better chance of survival, and so 

 of reproducing themselves, than pair B. The 

 male of pair A may not be better than the 

 male of pair B, or the female of pair A than 

 the female of pair B ; it is the combination 

 that matters and not the individuals. 



So with all societies. If a community of bees 

 A possess, as a variation, a character which 

 enables them to better resist their enemies 

 than a community B not possessing this varia- 

 tion, then community A will survive and 

 reproduce, whilst B will succumb. In fact, 

 directly individuals form themselves into socie- 

 ties, whatever be the bond, whether close or 

 very slight, then they at once cease to be 

 units re natural selection, re the survival of 

 the fittest ; the society, the pair or the family 

 at once becomes the unit. Males may be 

 perhaps compared with males, females with 

 females this male may be said to be 

 fitter than that ; but as long as the association 

 lasts, an individual's mate is as much a part 



