300 DARWINISM TO-DAY. 



5 illustrates a general rule which obtains throughout the entire 

 company of experimental worms, namely, that the effects of famine 

 grow less evident the further removed the individuals are from its 

 occurrence in their ancestral history. Thus lot 5 is two generations 

 removed from the famine of 1901, while lot 3 has had but one 

 generation in which to recover its ancestral loss. Lot 2, which 

 has had a total of but one famine year the current year neverthe- 

 less ranks below lot 7, which has had two famine years in its 

 ancestry succeeded by plenty during the current year. Lot 2 also 

 ranks below lot 6, a fact which appears strange, considering that 

 lot 6 has suffered two generations of famine, including the current 

 year, which is the only famine year experienced by lot 2. In 

 explanation of this anomalous condition it is suggested that possibly 

 the larvae of lot 6 were better fitted for enduring and making the 

 best of hard conditions than were the individuals of lot 2, the 

 ancestors of the former lot having been selected two years ago 

 on a food-scarcity basis. This suggestion gathers support from an 

 inspection of the mortality notes, from which it appears that the 

 number of deaths for which the famine was probably a contributing 

 and not a primary cause in each lot which is for the first time 

 subjected to short rations is almost doubly greater than the num- 

 ber of deaths in lots which are descended from starved ancestors, 

 whether these ancestral famines occurred in successive or alternate 

 years. The figures indicate that a reduction of food is almost twice 

 as destructive upon the first generation which is subjected to it as 

 it is when visited on a second generation. Lot 4 follows lot 2 as 

 the seventh in rank and its position is in accord with the rule above 

 noted, its latest ancestral generation which enjoyed an optimum 

 amount of food during 1902 or 1903. Lot 8 holds lowest rank, 

 it and its ancestors having been subject to trying conditions through- 

 out the entire three years, during some one or two of which all 

 the other lots have enjoyed the best of food conditions. Thus it 

 appears that a generation of famine leaves its impression upon at 

 least the three generations which succeed it, yet the power of 

 recovery through generous feeding exhibited by the progeny of 

 individuals subjected to famine, is so extensive (witness lot 5) 

 that it appears probable that every trace left by the famine upon 

 the race would eventually disappear. It is even conceivable that the 

 ultimate result of the famine would be a strengthening of the race, 

 the famine having acted the part of a selective agent, preserving 

 only the strong. 



"But although there is a large difference between the well fed 

 and the poorly fed, there persists, more obviously in late than in 

 early life, a very considerable discrepancy as to size among the 



