UNDER THE MAPLES 



wild creatures that are necessary for the survival 

 of the species — strength, speed, sharpness of eye 

 and ear, keenness of scent; all wait upon their sur- 

 vival value. 



Our hawks could not survive without wing-power 

 or great speed, but the crow survives without this 

 power, because he is an omnivorous feeder and can 

 thrive w^here the hawk would starve, and also 

 because no bird of prey wants him, and, more than 

 that, because he is dependent upon nothing that 

 requires speed to secure. He is cunning and sus- 

 picious for reasons that are not obvious. The fox 

 in this country requires both speed and cunning, 

 but in South America Darwin saw a fox so indiffer- 

 ent and unafraid that he walked up to it and killed 

 it with his geologist's hammer. Has it no enemies 

 in that country? 



Nature's course is always a roundabout one. 

 Our petty economies are no concern of hers. Man 

 wants specific results at once. Nature works 

 slowly to general results. Her army is drilled only 

 in battle. Her tools grow sharper in the using. 

 The strength of her species is the strength of the 

 obstacles they overcome. We misinterpret Darwin 

 when we assume that Nature selects as man selects. 

 Nature selects solely upon the principle of power of 

 survival. Man selects upon the principle of utility. 

 He wants some particular good — a race-horse, a 

 draft-horse — better quality or greater quantity of 



180 



