132 VARIOUS OBJECTIONS. Cn^r. IV. 



became almost constant tln-ough the nature of tlic organism 

 and of the surrounding' conditions, as Avell as through inter- 

 crossing ; for as these morphological charactei'S do not aflfect 

 the welfare of the species, any slight deviations in them would 

 not be acted on or accumulated through natural selection. It 

 is a strange result which we thus arrive at, namely, that char- 

 acters of slight vital importance to the species, are the most 

 important to the systematist; but, as we shall hereafter see 

 when we treat of the genetic principle of classification, this is 

 by no means so paradoxical as it at first appears. Finally, 

 whatever may be thought of this view, in none of the forego- 

 ing cases do the facts, as far as I can judge, afford any evi- 

 dence of the existence of an innate tendency toward perfecti- 

 bility or progressive development, 



I need allude only to two other objections : a distinguished 

 botanist, Mr. H. C. ^\'atson, behoves that I have overrated the 

 importance of divergence of character (in which, however, he 

 apparently believes), and that convergence of character, as it 

 may be called, has likewise played a part, Tliis is an intricate 

 subject which need not be fully discussed. I will only remark 

 that if two species of two allied genera, both produced a num- 

 ber of new and divergent species, I can believe that they 

 might sometimes approach each other so closely that they 

 would for convenience' sake be classed in the same new genus, 

 and thus two genera would converge into one ; but from the 

 strength of the principle of inheritance, and from the two par- 

 ent-species already differing and consequently tending to vary 

 in a somewhat different manner, it seems hardly credible that 

 the two new groups would not at least form distinct sections 

 in the genus. 



Mr. AVatson has also objected that the continued action of 

 natui'al selection with divergence of character will tend to 

 make an indefinite number of specific forms. As far as mere 

 inorganic conditions are concerned, it seems probable that a 

 sufficient mmiber of species would soon become adapted to all 

 considerable diversities of heat, moisture, etc. ; but I fully admit 

 that the mutual relations of organic beings are more important ; 

 and as the number of species in any country goes on increas- 

 ing, the organic conditions of life become more and more com- 

 plex. Conscquentl}' there seems at first sight no limit to the 

 amount of prolitaljle diversification of structure, and therefore 

 no limit to the number of species wliich might be })roduced. 

 A\'e do not know that even the most prolific area is fully 



